


Lost in the Wilderness

by Verbophobic



Series: Barbarian Universe [1]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, barbarian au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:28:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 29,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22151800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verbophobic/pseuds/Verbophobic
Summary: Sideswipe and Sunstreaker have had it bad since sparklinghood. Like so many others they were snagged up and put into the pits, chosen for where to end up and where to be a profit. The gladiatorial pits seemed perfect for two mechs whose steps couldn't be more in synch if they tried. But like so many others upon reaching their adulthood it's time to be put up for auction. They have the training, they have experience, they have survived their upbringing and are on their way with others to be put up for auction when unlikely rescue comes. It's not for them of course, but they are along for the ride at this point. Who are those savage black and white barbarians and what do they mean by 'Mine'?!
Relationships: Jazz/Sunstreaker, Prowl/Sideswipe
Series: Barbarian Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1594438
Comments: 92
Kudos: 109





	1. Good Morning Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> This work is inspired by another. I read the [The Iacon Prophacy](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7033102/chapters/16002475) and finally found the muse to write again. Hopefully I continue and maybe finish this.

A whimper alerted the barbarians to two mechs waking up. Or at least one of two. They didn’t know yet if it was a red mech whose armor seemed to be bulking him up or the yellow mech whose size red was trying to correspond to. 

Helm throbbing and frame aching, the red mech knew he'd been in a decent battle. Even if the memory files were still decrypting as they unlocked. He only remembered flashes of black and white and then pain. It would come to him later he figured. “Sunny?” Onlining his optics he tried to look around blearily. Thankfully bright golden yellow was easy enough to spot no matter how unfocused his optics were. And then memories came back as his focus narrowed and cleared. 

Battle coding raced as it turned on and his twin jerked as the coding initiated in him too. “Sideswipe!” Sunstreaker bellowed and as he sat up he strained against the cabling that encircled his wrists. It creaked as it strained but it didn’t break. 

“Right here, Sun.” Sides grunted and Sunstreaker whipped his helm to look at his brother. His struggle slowed then stopped as he began to assess the situation. Looking around they were off the road but likely not far. Offlined mecha were laid out, the survivors were grouped, and the twins were off to the side, oddly enough. 

“Do you remember what happened? I just - I remember the caravan being attacked. Blank offlining, then fighting some black and white mech with back sensor panels.” Sideswipe kept looking around trying to remember some other important detail that he knows he forgot. He had an itch that said you are forgetting something important. 

“It was a rescue for the wildling siblings,” Sunstreaker growled and Sides perked up. That’s right! He had seen Blank offline and someone trying to remove the collars from the siblings upfront! 

“Seachoice? Bilge?!” Sides called loudly and his brother snapped his helm to him and snarled. Sides ignored Sunny and kept looking until one of the two he was looking for noticed him. “Bilge!” Sides wiggled as the wildling that had been at the front guard of the caravan came over. 

Bilge was a small mech compared to Sunstreaker but average compared to normal cybertronians. He would be the same size as Sideswipe if the younger twin didn’t have tank grade armor on. Bilge’s protoform was a dark gray much like the cybertronian metals of the forest around them. His main color scheme was a bright orange that would match certain fields of crystals as the sun star reflected off them. He had some light seafoam accents that sides had discovered was a strong plastic that was natural to his form. That includes the vents at the back of his legs which helped him move faster. 

As he neared he squatted and chirred at Sides. The wildling has never learned the language of standard cybertronians and was forced to learn what was wanted of him through motions. _“Concealed!”_ Sideswipe recognized the name he’d been given in the wildlings tongue as they hadn’t exchanged proper designations yet. 

“Cut us free Bilge? Free?” Sideswipe parroted a word he and Sunny had translated. Bilge glanced at the arms Sides lifted in front of him and then shook his helm. 

_“No. You aren’t free. The warriors are deciding who to keep as mates and who is going to be released if any. They understand everyone was enslaved like us and know to ‘free’ you would be to enslave you again.”_

Sideswipe only understood a few words. No. Free. Fighter? (He thinks that’s correct). And slave. They’d learned that one before yes and no. It was a harsh reality they had to make the wildlings understand when they came. _“No. No slave. Free.”_ Sides lifted his servos more urgently and accidentally whacked Bilge’s nose. But the now free mech just snorted and pushed the servos back down. 

_“No.”_ As Bilge pressed the word to get the point across Sides took a deep vent then bellowed in the mechs face but the wildling who would have once cowered just looked sorrowful and shook his helm. 

Sides pulled his helm back then went to slam forward when white fingers wrapped around his horn and his new yell had peeled off into a squeal. Shivering and curls into himself some at the harsh hold he balanced up and grumbled at the sensor panel mech. _“No.”_ The mech growled and Sides narrowed his optics. The mech knew the twins understood that word. _“Mine.”_

Sides blinked up as Bilge’s jaw dropped. What? _“Mine?”_ The parroting had the mech snorting then he soothed the horn he’d grabbed and agreed to the word. The action alone had both twins’ sparks twists in fear. “No!” Sideswipe began to try and pull away only for the horn to be held firm again. The new word was repeated and Sunstreaker got a foot under himself to launch at the winged mech. 

Immediately the paneled mech pulled his staff out of subspace and whacked Sunstreaker away. A different mech - a black and white one with a visor and similar horns to Sides - pushed him to the ground and kept Sunny’s heaving chassis against the ground. _“Mine.”_ The one over Sunstreaker proclaimed. The barbarians that had gathered around murmured to each other but ultimately accepted the claims. 

Sideswipe whimpered and tilted his helm up towards the mech further, trying to alleviate the pain that throbbed through his audio. Sunstreaker could feel the pain radiating through the bond and yowled at the mech holding him down, trying to fight free. He needed to help his brother! They were in pain! The paneled mech snarled and gave the audio a firmer squeeze then loosened his hold to rub at it. As Sideswipe’s optics refocused he saw that the wings had flared and were in truth three separate panels that latched as one when not flared. He didn’t know more than that. Especially not at the moment.

The winged mech soothed the pain away and repeated the word. “I don’t know what you want me to say!” Sides snapped and the mech squeezed and repeated _'mine'_. Every grumble Sides gave got a squeeze and a repeated word. When he was sure he couldn’t take any more of the soft torture he squeaked out the last thing he could think of. _“Mine?!”_ The mechs wings relaxed and latched back together and he nodded.

 _“You are mine. Say yours.”_ Hearing the word again Sides parroted it causing the mech to tilt his helm. _“Yours.”_ Sides hesitated only a moment before repeating it. Getting a nod again he figured that was the answer to the ‘mine’.

Looking towards his yellow brother he saw the visored mech making Sunny watch. Then he repeated the claim. It took Sunny a few moments of begrudging anger before he grumbled the reply and that earned him a soothing pet to a fin. That was the last Sideswipe saw of Sunstreaker, and vice versa, as the winged mech lifted him by his upper arm and made him stumble away. The mech was bringing him somewhere else and his brother was being brought in another direction. Their cries for each other were ignored and Sideswipe found himself tossed into a cart and then his bound wrists attached to it.

Orders were given to Bilge to watch him while the mech left to finish preparing the group. “Bilge! Bilge, please! You have to let me go! I don’t want to become another mech’s slave again! Bilge!” Sideswipe scrambled out of the cart but couldn’t go far as he tried to show off the expertly tied bindings and beg to be freed. Bilge just stepped back and shook his helm. He couldn’t.

But he could do something else. Moving closer he put a servo over his chassis. “Copperplate.” Then he touched Sideswipe and waited. 

“I don’t understand! But you know what I want, please!” 

“Copperplate.” The mech repeated and touched himself then reached out for Sides. _“Concealed.”_

Sides shoulders slumped as he came to realize what was being exchanged. Bilge wasn’t Bilge, he was Copperplate. The mech shook him slightly to gain his attention again. “Sideswipe.” He finally grumbled and Bil- Copperplate repeated. Sides nodded then Copper pointed to the other end of camp.

 _“AngryOne?”_ Sides grunted as he recognized what the wildlings had referred to his brother as.

“Sunstreaker.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Copperplate](https://theparallelwall.tumblr.com/post/147728181107/felt-like-messing-around-and-made-two-aqua-polys) This is Copperplate and his unnamed sister (She will show up next chapter!)


	2. Mistakes are Made

**The caravan’s guards flinched as a whip cracked through the air. Sideswipe glanced at his brother from where they stood guard at the read then they looked forward towards the two wildlings that guarded the front. Collars around their necks all flickered with lights as they adjusted to their connectivity. The whip bearing mech sat at the front of the caravan and waited until lights flashed green signaling the collars were on, connected, and working. “Let’s get a move on!” He belted and the praxian hybrid meck, Blank, hopped into the back of the trailer that the rest of the slaves were chained into. He sat down and looked at his pedes as his wings flared to act as a barrier.**

**Sides trilled softly at him and the green mech glanced over at him. Sides lifted his dual swords up and the mech quickly pulled his own from subspace and grimaced. Blank wasn’t bad on the optics, just not Side’s favorite color scheme. The mech was mint green with an ombre to his limbs, going from mint to darker until it reached black. From those depths, lines shot out and were harsh, straight, perfect. Both twins felt of the mech was white he would look far more handsome and that blue chevron could be practically any other color if he was to stay green. But it was a solid bright blue with caked-on energon from the match he’d just come from.**

**The caravan lurched forward and through the city, their chains clinked and clanked. The moment they were out the chains were going to be removed until the next city. They were only guards for the wildlands, within the cities they were only slaves. Only possessions to mecha that were higher ranked with far more credits than they had.**

Sideswipe woke with a gasp before he shivered and blinked to look around. It hadn’t been a dream then. Or recharge flux, whatever others called it. The caravan had moved out and had been attacked. His friend, Blank, was somewhere mid camp, a graying husk by this point. His bond warmed suddenly and it felt like he was being hugged. A small smile pulled the corners of his lips up and he reached up with his bound servo’s to touch his chassis.

Sunstreaker must still be near even if he couldn’t see or hear him. Offlining his optics he took a deep vent in and reached out over the bond, pulsing towards his brother until he felt him doing the same. They danced around each other, pulsing, feeling, seeking. Onlining his optics again he looked in a direction of the camp and though he couldn’t see bright golden yellow plaiting, he knew that his twin was there. Sunny was probably looking right back at him too - Sides let out a squawk as something was pulled down over his helm and he tried to fight it.

As his helm popped out through a hole he glared up at his new captor. The mech had pulled on a poncho of some sort that was a dark gray like the surrounding metals. Looking down at himself, he saw that a matching one had been put onto him too and he scowled up at the black and white mech. “Sideswipe.” the mech put a servo on Side’s shoulder and the red mech’s jaw dropped. The mech pulled his servo away then touched his own covered chassis, “Prowl.”

Behind Prowl Coppertone grinned and gave Sideswipe a ‘thumbs up’ gesture. The fragger- Sides had taught him that gesture! He was not allowed to use it after betraying him like this! “Sideswipe,” looking back at the mech he watched as his servos were grabbed loosely and set on the mech’s chest. The winged mech waited and Sides heaved a grunt.

" _Yours?_ ” The mech gave a small sad smile then nodded.

“Prowl, _yours._ ” Letting go of the tied up servos, Prowl put a servo onto Sideswipe’s chassis. 

“Wait, what do you mean by that? I belong to you, not the other way- hey! Fragger come back! Don’t you leave you - you scum slug!” What did the mech mean what was that other word? It was a similar gesture to when Copperplate introduced- “Prowl!” Immediately the wings flared and disconnected then he turned to look at Sides and his wings snapped together again. “ _Free?_ ” Holding servo’s up he was disappointed when Prowl shook his helm no and left again.

Copperplate moved closer to Sideswipe and began to babble at him. Or that’s how it felt to the red gladiator, the mech that he’d helped teach was talking non stop now just pointing at things and saying words. Probably trying to teach him some more words. Sideswipe growled angrily at the mech as a warning but Copper didn’t heed it and instead moved closer and began to touch Sideswipe, telling him what bits and pieces of himself were. As Copper reached up and pulled a thick heavy metal piece from his helm, “ _Taylu._ ” The appendage - as it looked to Sides - seemed heavy and no longer tied back like the gladiator was used to seeing.

He’d seen them on wild mechanimals. Others had called them ‘dreadlocks’ and it seemed a breed of wildlings had them too. It’s why by the wildling of a certain tribe and the breed of Cyber-hounds were called similarly. They were both Polyhexian’s. As Copper grinned and wiggled his orange tipped taylu, Sideswipe figured he would go back to basics in communicating his displeasure. Fast as a wild razor snake, his helm snapped out and with horror on Copper’s faceplates Sideswipe sank denta into the taylu.

Obviously there were sensors and receptors in the appendage - Sides figured they might be like fingers - because Copper _shrieked_ in agony as he flailed and pulled away. Sideswipe’s intention wasn’t to hurt the other, just to drive the point home that he didn’t want to talk or learn, that he wanted to be free. So he released the taylu and pulled his lips back to snarl louder. He didn’t like the taste of energon from a being in his mouth, soaking his glossa and dripping down his chin, but it made all those with the same helm design back up. Their own taylu were grasped as if they feared he’d be able to reach them and he’d eat the bits of them.

Looking around, probably much like a rabid hound, a shadow fell over him. He’d expected panels but when he looked up a large, angry mech with bright red optics stood over him and he had a club in his servo. Sides knew he deserved the first hit, he had expected it from Copper to be honest. Then the second hit came and he flared his armor as best as he could in a show of intimidation. The third hit had his helm swimming and his armor instead clamping down. Four, five, six, and then he lost count. All he could do at that point was try to curl up and keep his whimpering down. Bound servo’s could only protect so much of himself and he choose to try and keep his undamaged horn from getting damaged. The other had been - what felt like - knocked clean off.

The hitting only stopped as someone’s body lay on top of his and he would have fought as hard as he could to get them off, except he recognized the copper collar immediately and the fact Copper was cowering over his curled up form to try and protect him from anymore hits. From his prone position Sideswipe looked up with his cracked optic and saw that the barbarian pulled his club back any way and was going to hit Copper. The mech didn’t care that he would hurt the mech he was seeking retribution for.

Pushing Copper to the side off of himself he kicked his legs out hearing the crack as a knee joint gave out and the mech went down closer to Side’s current height. There was shock, like the mech hadn’t expected retaliation and didn’t know what to do now. Pulling pedes pack with a staticky snarl Sides kicked again and hit the mech in the face, feeling the nasil ridge crack under his strong kick. That snapped the mech out of his shock and he began to hit with the club harder, more force was applied and Sides felt the armor denting enough it hurt his actual frame.

Pedes were running now as those gathered were also pulled from their shock and trying to get the angry mech off Sides. But he just hit at them too and hurting them probably worse than Sides. They had less armor, they weren’t made to take on tank sized mecha. Sideswipe’s cracked optic brightened as he realized the club was coming for his helm, it would easily crush it if contact was made! He could do little more than whimper and try to cover his helm with his arms again, not that it would do much more than give him a few more dents before his helm was caved in.

The hit never connected and when he peeked up there was a staff stretched out over him and it vibrated.Looking up the long weapon he spotted two white servo’s grasping it and metal arms straining to keep it from moving any further. Prowl barked at the mech and it finally dawned on the other that they weren’t alone, that others were hurt, and he pointed at Sideswipe as if to try and blame the curled up hurt gladiator. If it didn’t hurt to uncurl so much, he would have kicked the mech away again.

Prowl was having none of the mech’s lies and snorted a hot vent from his nasil and whipped the staff to hit the mech and force him to stumble back. Sideswipe let his helm lull back and rest of the ground while he vented harshly. He could hear a wheeze that did not sound good and his internal diagnostics flickered as more and more damage reports popped up. It made his helm spin to see that moving so fast so he dismissed it and looked back at Prowl.

 _//Sideswipe!//_ Hearing SUnstreaker’s bellow over the bond made him whimper and Prowl’s wings flared as their sensors took readings from behind. REadings from him maybe.

 _//’M fine, Sun. Just a lil banged up.//_ It was a lie and his brother knew it. But there was nothing either could do about it and so they had to accept it and pretend like that’s all it was.

Prowl and the red optic’d mech were circling each other, barking and growling at each other in their barbaric language. They were having a standoff and from what he could tell about stances, Prowl was the dominant, most likely to win even against the larger opponent. Pink hands began to touch Sides and Prowl paused to glance. “S̴̢é̸͡ac͘h̨͟o̶҉͝i̶c҉͢e̷͜? ̧͟” The static was worse in his voice now and he did not like it. 

“Prowl!” Sea called out and Sideswipe blinked at her as if seeing her for the first time. She was so pink. How had he never noticed just how pink she was? It was like he and his brother had only noticed the seafoam of her armor plating. Chest, arms, pelvis, legs, it was so little seafoam coloring yet still they had dubbed her Seachoice? 

“Sh͠ǫ̷u̢da ̸̡͝cal̡͞l̷͡͏ę͟͝d ̴͝͝yo̸u͢͏ ͢͠Pi҉n͟k̨̀͟y.͟͠..̷̵” His grumble caused him to wince and he glanced up at her and Copper. Copper’s taylu had stopped leaking energon already and Sea had her’s pulled back out of the way, still tied up, smart of her considering he _had_ bitten her brother’s.

“Prowl!” She called again and Sideswipe looked away from his fellow pit slave to the winged mech who had at some point knocked the large red optic’d mech down and had the tip of his staff pointed down at the looser. The club was kicked away and the mech was quickly bound by several that sported dents from earlier when Red had hit them away. 

Prowl turned to Sea upon seeing for himself that the mech was taken care of. “Ç̵o̢͘p̨p̶͟͢e̵͞͠r͞, ̴͘ s̕o̷ŕr̸y̛͞͞ ̧̀ab͜͡o̢͞u҉t̢ ̸t͠͝h̨̨͟e͏͏ ̴̧̢ta̧̢y̨l҉͞u͘͞.” Sideswipe glanced at the more orange mech and he figured the other just dismissed his concern. It was a little nip, Sides was now in far worse condition. As Prowl knelled down Sea set Sideswipe’s helm into Prowl’s servo’s - when did Sea grab his helm?! - Sides keened as shuddered as the ache registered and he twitched. His armor was dented badly and pressing in, pinching wires and lines. That’s why it hurt so much, that’s why his diagnostics kept rolling with warning after warning minimized somewhere.

As one servo held his helm up the other lightly rubbed knuckles over his cheek and Sides clanged at the white only to see pink staining them. He was bleeding then, had to be, the long gone mech hadn’t touched Prowl. Blinking his optic he felt like every flicker was a screen shot. One moment he was looking at white knuckles, then he was down and looking at black and white pedes as Prowl stood, barking something. Then there was red and white pedes running towards him. The small mech had a mask and square helm. 

Sides blinked, the mech was kneeling in front of him, touching him, drawing a pained keen out. Another blink, and he was unbound, looking up at the sky, he felt so heavy, so very heavy… A shadow moved out of the sun and Sides had to offline and online his optic to reset it against the pain of light. The brightness was gone though and he felt light. Like he’d lost his bulky armor for the first time in ages. He lulled his helm to the side and saw his brother sitting there, his wire restraints tethered to the ground. Sunny was speaking at the wildling siblings, prodding at his own frame showing off where the latches were - oh. So he must had somehow informed them of the red gladiator’s armor. He really was lighter.

Pink stained white servo’s tugged at his helm and forced him to look in the other direction. Prowl, Prowl was there still. It- it was a nice surprise to know this, he figured. Maybe the odd indication of mine and yours from early was real? Did that even happen? “Ṕ̶r͏ò̀w̶̛͜l̵͢? ̕͜ _̡Y҉ò͢u̶̸rs͜? ̶_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The unnamed mech that hurt Sides isn't important. Yet, so his descriptions not that important. This sin't where i thought this chapter would go but It just decided to go here lol.


	3. Stretch the Legs

Sitting in the back of the cart, and not allowed to walk like the rest of the wild mecha, made Sideswipe fell mad. Not angry, but crazy with boredom. It had been two days since he had the slag beat out of him and while he wasn’t a hundred percent yet he was more than ready to get out and move. The only reason he hadn’t lashed out yet was that he’d get glimpses of his brother. 

Sunstreaker had _never_ been a submissive mech to any of their trainers nor owners. Yet he was so confounded by the mech that had claimed him he followed the back and white around. Servo’s still bound and a long tether from his wrists reached out and was loosely held by the wildling. It never ceased to cause Sides a bubble of amusement to see his larger twin following willingly after a mech who’s helm barely reached where his spark would be.

There was also always this contemplative look in Sunstreaker’s optics, the anger had faded away sometime during the orn when Sides had been beaten to slag. Of course, neither of them were happy about being enslaved by barbarian’s but so far - other than the isolated incident - no one had been cruel or abusive to them. Copper now kept his taylu pulled back with a strip of hide and when anyone with the appendages neared either twin they would find a way to bind their own.

_//Sun, have you seen Prowl?//_ Sideswipe saw the black and white stop to talk to another and Sunstreaker stopped right behind him, looking down once again with that confused thoughtful look before his helm snapped up and the twins made optic contact. Icy optics narrowed at him then began to look around, taking in all around where the group had paused.

Sunstreaker did two full circuits of looking around before noticing his black and white was looking up at him expectantly. _//No, what was his designation?//_ Sideswipe pulsed the designation over their bond and Sunstreaker’s mouth moved and the black and white looked alarmed. Then to Sideswipes amusement - and Sunstreaker’s horror - The mech scaled his larger form and let go of the tether to stand precariously on Sunsterk’es shoulders.

“ _Jazz!_ ” Was bellowed from across the clearing and Sunstreaker jerked hard to glare in that direction. ‘Jazz’ Squawked as he was displaced and he flailed his arms before falling and Sunstreaker didn’t let the little mech hit the ground. He caught him in bound arms and snarled threateningly at the mech. 

“ _No!_ ” That’s about all Sunstreaker would willingly say most times even though he was working to create a translation program, a harsh broken one, but one nonetheless. ‘Jazz just patted Sunstreaker’s face and gave him praise and Sideswipe saw the crowd parting for Prowl to storm over, likely to chew the short mech out. Sideswipe noticed that Prowl was the same size as his brother, excluding the pointy chevron.

As amusing as the whole thing had been, Sideswipe wiggled eagerly. It wouldn’t be long before Prowl would be coming over here and he would try to convey his want to get out and move around. Even as ‘naked’ as he was with his armor removed. Sunstreaker had told him how horrified the bots were that they were flaying him until he showed them his could come off too even if it was less.

Jazz pointed to Sunstreaker and Sunstreaker grunted out Sideswipe’s designation because Prowl looked towards him confused as to how Sunstreaker would know his brother had been looking for him. The mech in charge of the group made his way over and Sideswipe held his wrists up before Prowl even reached the cart. He watched as optics flared and wings twitched before a shake of his helm and he started to turn. “Prowl, _Yes!_ Come on, I want to come with you. _yours!_ ” Prowl looked over and Sides held out less his wrists and more the length of tether he could. Then he motioned towards where his brother and Jazz were.

Prowl seemed to contemplate this for a short bit before taking the ‘leash’ and Sides eagerly crawled out of the cart. Instead of removing his binding from where it was tied Prowl got into Sideswipe's immediate space and backed him up against it. “ _No taylu._ ” Sideswipe made an exasperated expression and rolled his optics but Prowl tugged and repeated his demand making sides nod. “ _Mine._ ” The barbarian’s blunted finger lifted Sideswipe’s chin and waited.

“Fine! Fine whatever, I’ll do whatever you ask just let me stretch and walk!” The barbarian scowled and held his chin tighter. “ _Yes! No taylu. Yours._ ” Seemly happy with his demand being met he let go of Sideswipe’s chin and quickly untied Sideswipe from his cell.

Then with some light tugging, Sideswipe hurried after Prowl. The entire time his helm swung rapidly left and right to look everything over. It felt so different not being bulked up and being so small. He figured he was a bit taller than Jazz considering the height similarity of this mech and his brother. Sideswipe would have been shorter even with his armor but not by much. Now he was struggling to see everything around him and he heard Prowl chuckling at his eagerness and curiosity.

Either that or Prowl was getting great pleasure out of all the polyhexians scurrying away from them while tying their taylu up or holding them out of Sideswipe’s reach. Soon enough Prowl had brought him over to where a small group was discussing something and by the points to the few mecha that he recognized as the surviving slaves from the caravan he knew it was about them. Someone spotted him and the leash in Prowl’s servo causing white fingers to tighten around the lead. The large red mech who stood about a helm taller than Prowl and double the weight class of his …. Owner? Sides wasn’t sure what to call Prowl. 

The red mech was what Sides would call a tank class, the very class his armor had been designed to take on. Without thinking or considering the repercussions Sideswipe shifted to subtly stand between Prowl and the red mech. He growled lowly in warning, the same growl he had tried to warn Copper off with before he’d bit. The entire group around them looked amused and shocked as Prowl tugged the lead and then shifted himself between Red and Sides. His wings flared at Red as he cupped Sideswipe’s cheeks. “ _No, Ironhide is a friend. Sideswipe, no. Ironhide friend._” Sideswipes optic twitched and he gave another louder growl as he looked at the amused red mech. 

“ _Prowl, mine. No Ironhide._” Bellows of laughter erupted from the group and Ironhide held his servo’s up in a placating manner. 

“ _Yours._ ” As Ironhide agreed Sideswipe nodded. First of all, he was now sure of what ‘ _mine_ ’ and ‘ _yours_ ’ meant. They were claims but no one was angry, they were amused with the exception of an annoyed Prowl. That meant that they were like terms of endearment while being terms of claiming. Like telling another that someone was their bondmate. 

“Ironhide, _friend?_ ” The word was butchered and those that had managed to stop laughing winced.

Prowl just pet Sideswipe’s helm and the small mech snarled and snapped his denta in Prowl’s direction. He did not like that! He’s not some animal to be praised with petting! The servo paused and stayed but didn’t pet anymore and Sides continued to growl before he cut off and his vents hitched as his good horn was rubbed. His other horn was still giving him feedback and he was afraid to ask Sunny if it was even there anymore.

Nodding - more to himself - Prowl let go of the horn and reached into subspace to pull out some odd-looking sticks and he handed one over to Sideswipe who was confused. But the mech ignored him and got the conversation going again. As the gladiator kept an optic on the black and white he saw a stick lifted to lips, then bit and broken off. As Prowl chewed and swallowed Sideswipe hesitantly lifted his stick and did the same. It was odd, but also good. It was like a shot of highgrade with the boost of a charge it gave without the downwards effects of highgrade.

Peeking over to the group he saw a map on an overturned barrel.on it were little smudged that seemed able to be rubbed off, they blocked several passes and Sideswipe studied it. There were several places left open and a large smudge seemed to represent their destination while another them. Most of this was guesswork on his part but the more pointing, talking, and shakes of helms he saw the more likely he was right. Apparently, they wanted to go back to their tribe but it was blocked by something. Dangers, but what kinds? Predators, eroded land, enemies? Possibly not just a single one but all.

When someone noticed how curious he was, and how he was studying the map, it was snatched up and audio’s sparked as the mech snarled at him. Prowl managed to calm the mech down, and then lead Sideswipe off as the group got back to conversing. It was obvious none of them wanted his input - not that he could give it - or even for him to see the map. Probably worried about an escape plan or something. Sideswipe wished he could talk, wished he could explain the reality. 

Even _if_ he escaped, and say he managed to get away along with his brother, they had nowhere to go. Returning to any city they’d be scanned and immediately returned to the auction house. Their ID chips would list them as lost property by this point and the moment they returned if the chip didn’t list them that way, it would at that point. The brothers were slaves until they were freed or could buy their own freedom. It’s how Kaon worked and they were kaonites. No matter the city they were kaonite citizens and while they would need to obey the laws of any city they were in, their own base laws would overrule such as the fact they were owned, they were pets. The never had any rights- 

A tug at his wrists had his helm snapping to look up at Prowl. While he couldn’t understand what the mech was saying, his words lost all meaning in the soft speech, he did understand the worried expression and the confused cant of the wings. He didn’t know how to reply other than speaking but he knew it was useless. Looking around he spotted Copper and his sister and called out to them. Tugging at Prowl the duo met each other halfway and Sideswipe just pointed to a scar on his shoulder after tugging his poncho down. They flinched in remembrance of their own branding. Motioning to Prowl he pointed again. “Tell him we were slaves. Tell him what we were, the pits, the fights, the pain.” 

Of course, the duo didn’t understand everything but they understood a few keywords. Sea turned away and Copper called out a different name before seeming to apologize to Sides and refusing. “ _Tonic! Tonic!_ ” They were still far more affected than the twins were. There was always a point in one's life when horrors couldn’t get any worse and they had to accept it. To move on or be swallowed by it. The twins had hit that long ago which is why this situation _annoyed_ them, but didn’t upset them.

Sides heaved a sigh as he tried to remember the wording, the pronunciation, then pointed to his shoulder and looked up at Prowl. “ _Slave. Sideswipe, slave. Sunstreaker, slave. Copperplate, slave. Tonic, slave._ ” Lifting his servo’s he pointed to the caravan of scared mecha all still bound but not with chains anymore. “ _Slave._ ”

Prowl held the tether tighter as he tried to comprehend the understanding. He had guessed they were captured mechs, that the siblings they had come to save weren’t free mechs, but he hadn’t thought about the rest of them. It had looked to him that the caravan was filled with prisoners, that perhaps the twins were also but they were well behaved and trusted. It fit in with his society, that those that were in the wrong were punished and they needed to work on their debt to the tribe. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker had seemed that way. Good mecha earnestly trying to help the caravan to pay them back and earn their release from punishment.

Sideswipe lifted his servo’s and showed them to Prowl. “ _Prowl, slave?_ ” Sides watched the horror flicker and register on the mech’s faceplates as he seemed to finally understand. All this time the mechs had felt like they went from one master to the other. That the claiming was of ownership.

“ _No! Sideswipe -_ ” Prowl cut off because how did he tell the other mech who didn’t speak his language what the claiming meant? Especially as it seemed like slavery to them both now.

“ _Yours._ ” Sideswipe said softly then stepped closer and fingered Prowl’s poncho. “ _Prowl… mine, yes?_ ” Prowl nodded urgently, hoping Sideswipe did understand what all this meant. That they were _Mates_ , not enslaved mecha. Sideswipe took Prowl’s servo in his own. “I won’t leave, please, _Free Sideswipe?_ ” Shakily Prowl pulled his servo away and shook his helm no. “Prowl! Please!”

The mech babbled something that Sideswipe could not understand then snatched up the tether and passed him off to someone else and barking orders. The femme looked confused before looking between the retreating Prowl and Sideswipe.


	4. Travel Time

Attached to the cart again Sideswipe threw his fit. He was loud, he was violent and everyone knew to give him wide berth for his tantrum. Having only stopped for fuel and to plot a route it was only a little while longer before they were moving again. Sunstreaker was attached to the cart next to Sideswipe and he watched his brother pouting. “What happened?” It sounded so disinterested from the yellow twin that Sides only groaned more and he would have thrown himself self down if he wasn’t attached to a cart and being walked like some mutt.

“He refused to untie me, again.” Sunstreaker snorted and glared at his brother, he was throwing a fit for that?! Something they were more than used to?! “Okay but he understands we are slaves, he insisted we aren’t anymore, but he still refused!”

“Sideswipe! We are disposable mechs, stop acting like a sparkling and prove to them we aren’t!” His snap had Sideswipe flinching and dragging his pedes. The bond thrummed with shame, Sunstreaker was right. It burned Sides to acknowledge it but he had to. “Disposable mechs get offlined and sold for parts, we have to find a way to be useful even if it’s just sucking spikes. We can run when they trust us and find a way out of here. Least in the pits we were good for fights and not cattle.”

Sideswipe looked at his brother and his shoulders slumped further. Sucking spikes? He didn’t want to go that low. “I know where we are and where we are going.” Sunstreaker stumbled and gawped at his brother. If Sides knew - somehow - then why was he acting like he’s just given up hope?! “I want to be free, okay?” He was just as testy as his brother at reading the shock in the bond.

“We won’t be any more free with them then the pits!”

“What if we could be? What if we got to be equals for the first time in our lives?! I want that Sunny. Even if we are just cattle to them if we could be without bindings or fighting to get our next fueling- I’ll suck spikes if I have to! If they want me to do that and I get to be free the rest of the time I’ll do it- I will!”

As they watched each other heatedly those that walked near by slowed and moved away, several of the polyhexian’s pulled their taylu back and bound them. They were ready to step in if it became as violent as it seemed it was about to. Some pulled blunt weapons such as staffs and clubs out, a few pulled out lances and spears, those with the blunt weapons tried to stay back, because primus forbid any taylu got free of their bindings.

Sideswipe and his brother had begun pulsing feelings and sensations over the bond, no longer able to put it into words. Sideswipe would allow an invisible collar if it meant moving freely, being able to have privacy at some points during the day. He just wanted the best freedom he could get, even if there was a stipend to it. No matter how dirty or dark, he felt that it was worth it if they didn’t have to worry every day about if they would survive or how they would fuel.

Sunstreaker was hesitant to accept that because at least with the pits they knew where they stood. The twins knew they would fight and not be turned into pleasure bots. They knew they would get a half ration every orn if they fought maybe more if their owners won big. They wouldn’t offline if they stayed strong and worked together. Everything about the pits was a fact for them. As long as they were good strong fighters they would be together and survive. In this wildland’s tribe of barbarians the twins were new and there was no laid out plan!

But if they survived, if they could make it a home, they’d be happy. Wasn’t the risk worth that?

Suddenly the two got close and even though Sides was far smaller than his brother now, sunny stooped down to nuzzle him and Sides sighed as he pressed into the touches. Sunstreaker relented, Sideswipe was right for once. If they could be happy, even sucking spikes, then it was worth it. They weren’t happy in the pits and something as simple as what they figured they’d be used for here would be worth it to them.

The crowd of spectators slowed further and a familiar bark had them jumping back into formation. Prowl rounded the cart to see the brothers close to each other and nuzzling each other. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker broke apart again and they both looked at the praxian. The wings were flared and low in confusion even as he continued to bark and wait for weapons to be put away. 

The Praxian moved to between the two and put his staff away. Looking around he moved closer to Sunstreaker then grunted, “ _Mine._ ” Before falling back then picking up pace to return to his original position near the front with Jazz who was stumbling as he tried not to laugh.

“What was that?” Sunstreaker growled unable to move like Sides had and peek around the cart where he heard his own barbarian laughing. 

“Dunno Sunshine, but the small one is laughing and Prowl looks ready to hit him.” Amusement trickled to Sides over the bond. The small one? Interesting~ Sunny really wished he could watch and observe. Then a burst of annoyance flowed over and SIdeswipe fell back in line.

“Don’t call me that.” Ah of course, the dreaded nickname! Sunshine, the designation that would get any other mech beaten to a bloody pulp. Sides figured he shouldn’t poke fun, not at the moment, because he’d just begun to feel better after his last beating from that one praxian mech, Red Optics.

“Sideswipe! Sunstreaker!” From behind Copper pushed forward and Sideswipe looked at the healing taylu he had bitten. He did feel bad still, especially as it seemed that the bite was healed but still there. It had turned into a scar apparently. Both twins watched him warily, it wasn’t because they didn’t trust him but rather because they didn’t know him. He paused outside of reaching range of either then pulled his taylu back and Sideswipe let out a loud undignified groan. 

“Bite a mech one time - _one time!_ \- and you never get to live that down.” All around him poly’s snickered, guessing why he was groaning even if they didn’t understand the exact words. Sunstreaker grinned too.

With his appendages secured and safe Copper dared to get closer and he held out two fistfulls of sticks. “ _Fuel._ ” He said the word slowly and held the sticks up. Both twins looked at them and him as if he had grown a second helm. Copper mimicked drinking from a cube, with loud, over exaggerated, gulping sounds. “ _Fuel._ ”

_//He’s an idiot. We already know to eat that.//_ Sunstreaker pulsed to Sides who grinned. 

_//Now hold on, this could be fun.//_

_//I want no part in this.//_ Sunstreaker turned his face forward. He peeked around his side of the carriage and noted the praxian was there and his helm tilted as if he heard something that caught his attention.

“Copperplate! Sticks? You brought sticks?” Sides cooed at him and reached for them.

“You’re an idiot, he can’t understand you.” Sunstreaker grumbled and kept watching the praxian who scowled and suddenly looked back at him with narrowed optics. Sunstreaker glared right back.

Sideswipe took the fuel and began to play with it, drumming them like he was in a band and Copper looked confused. REalizing the mech had never seen a preshow for the pits Sides tried intead to use it like a sword for mock fighting. Copper realized Sides had no idea what his words or his charades meaning. How else would he get the mech to understand?!

This continued on for a short while, Copper trying to mime out fuel, Sides acting like it was a game, and Sunstreaker and Prowl having a glare off. It probably would have continued on until the nightly stop, but a large red mech Sunny hadn’t met before came over. And laughed loudly before ruffling the taylu. Sunstreaker watched curiously as the red mech spoke and sides pouted before beginning to eat a stick and getting close enough to his brother to share another.

Sunstreaker just watched as Copper heated up with embarrassment. He’s been miming a lot of motions to get Sides to understand but the gladiator already had known what it was. _//Ironhide. He was eating some earlier and Prowl gave me one to eat too.//_ Sunstreaker snorted and rolled his optics when barks rose up and the congregation slowed to a stop. They began to work on taking out enough rolls for everyone and setting up an easy to dismantle camp. Sideswipe huffed as he sat down and Sunny sat too. They got as close as they could but while sitting they were just out of reach of each other.

Before either could feel too disappointed about it though they were removed and brought towards the center of camp by the fire and tacked down together. From there they could watch everyone around them, setting up rolls for each other while everyone worked. Some got the fuel sticks others got the rolls, and some stood guard. One or two were fueling the luponoids that dragged the few carts they has.

Sunstreaker was interested in the steeds but SIdeswipe was far more focused on Prowl and Jazz. The two stood speaking to each other on the other side of camp looking at ease with each other to the point they might be mistaken for family if not for their different frames. Jazz reached up to his helm and with a slight tug removed the helmet revealing taylu longer than anyone else here and Sideswipe gawped.

Feeling his twins confusion and shock Sunstreaker snorted and looked over. “Confused me the first time too. Didn’t you notice earlier when that pitspawn climbed me he had them?”

“I did not! I was distracted looking for Prowl.” The grumbler had Sunsreaker shifting closer than Sides shivered and crawled under Sunny’s arms to situate himself in the larger twin’s lap. Safer from that breeze that had just blow in after all. There must be some fluid reserves near by- no. Lakes? Ponds? Sides forgot what they were called. But it was always chilly when they were rented out to guard the fluid reserves in kaon. The large pit that the fluids collected in when the acid rains hit always stank and there was a chill that never went away from those areas.

“I don’t like you being armorless. You’re so… vulnerable.” Sunstreaker looked around as if he had new optics, searching for a threat to his brother. Few knew that their size correlated to the size of their ‘half’ of their shared spark. Split spark twins rarely were halved even if their sparks worked the same as half sparks. The spark could only ever support a certain sized frame and he and his brother were more like a 65-35 split.

“Not vulnerable, just small and cold. Can still take hits and dish them out just as stong. Stronger and faster actually. Don’t gotta exert too much on carrying the extra weight.” Sunstreaker snorted and nodded. Of course he _knew_ that, just didn’t make it any easier to accept how small his brother seemed.

“Your aft is making his way back over here. You better find a way to tell him I’m _not_ letting you go tonight.” Sides growled at Prowl when he stood over them and he shrank further into his brothers hold. 

Prowl nodded to show he understood that tonight they wanted to charge together and continue to talk. He was allowing it. Then he offered up a blanket made of some kind of fur and Sides peeked up. A small smile graced the Praxian’s lips and he shook it out then put around Sunny’s shoulders and made sure it was tucked well. He offered up some farewell then want back to the group of mecha with the map from earlier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My friend did art for this! I’ll post it when they post and I have a link! [Doodles](https://theparallelwall.tumblr.com/post/190168155322/some-doodles-for-lost-in-the-wilderness-by) This is Sunny after catching Jazz, Sides naked after the loss of his armor, and some Chibi Copper and Tonic. You can see Copper has a bite on his taylu


	5. Pedes of a Flock

Sideswipe let out a small little sound of dismay as they walked. Sunstreaker had been taken somewhere else and Sides had been put back into the cart, much to his agitation. Apparently, he was seen as being weaker than any of their fighters because he was small and naked and weaponless. They didn’t know he could still take down a mech Prowl’s size. Most likely.

Wigging around in the cart he waited until most were distracted and then he crawled out and had to jog at first to gain his legs and then find a proper speed for travel. Hah! That would show Prowl! A few Poly’s around the cart looked nervous and they pulled their taylu back and gave him a bit more space, but he didn’t see a single mech leaving their post to go tell on him. Tonic snorted when she noticed him but other than that and a shrug when he looked at her she just kept up her pace and followed like the rest.

It was boring, tremendously so. There was nothing at all to give him entertainment and even the caravan travels he’d done in the past were more entertaining. Of course, those lasted only a few joors and he’d never been out so long like these past few orns. Those travels before had been from city to city, a heady jog that worked his gyrose, and his brother by his side to give his processor a similar form of exercise.

 _//Quit moping like I’m offline. It’s annoying.//_ Sunstreaker’s growl over the bond sounded like a whisper, attesting to how far he was within the caravan. But, apparently not far enough away that Side’s self-pity wasn’t annoying.

Sideswipe pulsed over his boredom and a yearning to move, to work out, to do anything at this point but while his frame was finally warming up, he was still bored. His only reply was a small pulse of nothing, indicating his brother was thinking. Trying to think of a solution because when his brother was bored, he was annoying as all pits!

Sideswipe’s helm lifted and instinctively he looked forward at an angle, his brother was up over there. Then he was looking, searching, there was something-! That! The crystal outcropping! A pulse of warmth, good, that was very good. Now for harder.

They pulsed back and forth, Sunstreaker spotting things and Sideswipe trying to find it before the caravan passed it. He got most and what he didn’t catch Sunny promised to tell him later. As the trip continued on Sideswipe began to feel tired, he understood why Prowl had wanted him in the carriage until he was fully healed. By mid-orn he was panting and struggling to keep up. The cart was just far enough out of reach and he was just tired enough that he tried to grab it but kept floundering about, reaching and fingers skimming it but unable to grasp it or pull himself up. 

Just as his fingers clasped the cart, servo’s wrapped around his hips and lifted him, helping him up and into the wagon. He flopped onto his back, opening up hidden vents to expel as much heat as he could as he panted. Then the cart shifted as someone else pulled themselves up and Prowl sat there, taking a small break just to check on Sides. The gladiator still huffing lifted a servo tiredly and curled his fingers and twisted his servo so that his thumb was pointed up. He’s good, see? It’s a thumbs up. Prowl, having no idea what the gladiator was doing just snorted then held out some sticks. Sideswipe struggled to sit up and then he accepted one eagerly and nibbled on it. Immediately he felt a bit better even if his gyrose still were heated.

Prowl spoke softly and Sides could only tilt his helm to show he didn’t understand. Or course the Praxian grunted and scowled. Communication was _hard_ when neither spoke the other’s language. At least Copper and Tonic caught onto gestures fairly fast and learned from them. Pulling out a hide Prowl flattened it then grabbed s chunk of charcoal to write with. He was no artist but he was decent enough to get by with the crude drawings making sense. 

It looked like a puddle and then Prowl added what Sides assumed were mecha. They were in the puddle. Sides kind of understood… he understood mecha in a puddle but the rest of the meaning was lost on him. It was when white fingers reached out and scrapped along Side’s pede and removed some crust crystals that Sides seemed to understand. “A bath? You want to take a break from all this,” He waved at the caravan, “For a bath?!” He pointed at the drawing at that word. “You picked the wrong twin.”

When the Praxian tilted his helm Sides threw his own back and laughed. Grabbing the scroll and the charcoal Sideswipe drew horrendous fins on one of the mecha and a large smile too big for its face. Prowl’s scowl fell away immediately and he chuckled, understanding why Sideswipe found such humor in the bath. His brother would have been the better one to ask about it to get a much more enthused agreement.

With a lick to his thumb, he smudged the image enough to redraw the head, adding horns, then on the other figure, he paused before adding sensory panels. Would Sideswipe like a wash with him? Fast most likely as the rest took a fuel break then continued on. Thinking it over Sideswipe nodded, it would be nice to get the gunk out of his ankle and pede joints. Without his protective armor, things got into it a fair bit easier than he was used to. 

Grabbing at his pede he tugged until his legs were crossed and he could see the bottom of his foot. He poked at the ‘toe’ joint until a decent-sized crystal shard dislodged and he flapped the joint and felt it moving more easily and comfortably. Prowl reached out and tugged lightly at his pede. It must be odd seeing a pede like his as many don’t have them without a specific modification. Sideswipe was upgraded to be more limber and moveable than his brother who was given more mass. They were like ‘Primus’ and ‘Unicron’. They were opposites that fit just right to create balance.

Sideswipes pede from the ankle joint down was three segments, the main, weight-bearing middle, the heel made of solid tungsten for weight and strength when kicking, and his ‘toe’ segment. There were no individual toes like a hound would have, it was shaped just as toe segments should be in an overall sense. It was a large block and he couldn’t ‘wiggle’ his toes individually because there were no individual digits. As Prowl touched the blocky shape he twitched the knuckle joint purposefully to show it had movement. He could stand on the joint as one would their toes but its larger blocky shape made it firmer and if he kicked with it, it wouldn’t break as one might with toes. With it as a toe block, he had far more movement and balance than those where this part was one segment with his middle weight-bearing segment.

Compared to those with individual toes he had less balance because he couldn’t spread the block like the jointed toes could and grip. But his main function wasn’t like that of a dancer so the digits were never necessary. Or a wildling might have with the need to grip and move like he’d seen of some Polys already. Reaching forward Sideswipe lightly touched Prowl’s solid pede and the praxian looked up sharply before reaching down and turning off some hidden magnet pulled the tip off. 

It was a solid cover and beneath it toes - individual toes! Sideswipe examined the toe armor and determined it was likely for long-distance travel. Then he poked and touched each toe to move it and see the joints. They were single jointed with a knuckle joint - like his own knuckle joint - and his fingers pressed further and he gasped. The shin was armor too! He could feel solid plaiting below. Prow’s middle section was solid right up to his knees and sides could feel under it, pressing further he fingered where the ankle would be and could feet the gap. 

Tapping at the shin armor he asked for it to be removed and Prowl hesitated before taking it occ to show under the blocky armor was a smooth rounded shin, he had an ankle joint Like Sideswipe, a heel block but it looked much weaker than Sides, and the middle section. Nodding Sides agreed silently to explore that later and not when they were out in the open. Quickly the praxian replaced the armor and then the toe block, turning his pede back into a secure section of his being that would not show any weakness.

Sideswipe reached out for Prowl and tugged at his servo. He took a finger and made it touch his heel, then the toe and moving it up he made the mech tough his knee, then shoulders, he indicated his elbows as he couldn’t reach while bound, and he ran a white finger over his dark servo’s. Prowl paused watching carefully then he took Sideswipe’s servo in his own. He held it and lifted and lowered it some before his optics turned bright. He examined the darker armor and then he touched Sideswipe’s foot again. He softly tapped the heel against his palm and Sideswipe snickered. “Tungsten.” He slowly said and the Praxian looked at him. “The metal is tungsten.”

“Tungsten.” Prowl’s voice this entire time had always been a deeper resounding sound, but as he spoke a word in Sideswipe’s native language caused the gladiator’s jaw to drop. He’d never noticed when his designation was said, but now with the new word he did. A white finger tapped the heel, toe, then servo’s. “Tungsten.” Sideswipe nodded as Prowl understood the metal on these sections was that. He’d find a way to show just what it meant to be made of this. But then he tapped the lighter metals that made up the rest of Sideswipe’s frame. 

“Titanium.” Prowl touched the metal of Sideswipe’s middle pede segment and flicked it, surprised at the sound it made. He flicked the toe and Sides snorted, amused at Prowl’s absolute interest in his pedes over the rest of him. “Tungsten is the strongest metal us city mecha have discovered. The melting point is one of the highest too, there’s only one metal with a higher melting point. They wanted me to be able to hit and kill easily. Titanium is a blend of strength and practicality. Not nearly as strong as the other metal but it can take a hit and it can pup out without breaking down. Practical.” Of course, the Praxian didn’t understand but he seemed to know Sideswipe was talking about the metals. 

“Tungsten, titanium.” Prowl patted the pede he had yet to put down, then he set it aside and jumped out of the cart. He looked fairly well in thought as he moved around to get back to the front. He would most likely be going to talk to Jazz. 

This theory was confirmed not long later when Sunstreaker pulsed surprise and confusion. An idea of metals bubbled over and Sideswipe just gave an indecisive pulse, a sign of shrugging. _//Pede… fetish…?//_ Sunstreaker struggled to pulse hard enough to get this over the bond and Sideswipe sent a high amount of confusion. < _> Touching… pede… sit… cart… kick him?//_ Sunstreaker wanted permission to kick Prowl as the mech had made him sit in a cart to try and look at his pede.

A burst of humor bombarded Sunstreaker along with a negative feeling. Please don’t kick the barbarian. He would like him _not_ to be crushed. Sunstreaker, after all, had a far amount _more_ of the stronger metal throughout his frame. It was blended in with much of his armor and his protoform had been melted down and reformed with tungsten mixed in to strengthen the metals. An attack like a kick to the face with Sunstreaker’s stretch could easily cave it in if that’s what he wanted to do.

Sunstreaker accepted then there was amusement. Prowl barked out in alarm and Sideswipe got the feeling that Sunny had jumped off the cart landing purposefully so as to do damage to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't the original ch 5, so if anything seems off let me know because it might be an error concerning other chapters yet to come.


	6. If It's Meant To Be

Traveling so much got the moral down for more than just the former slaves. Sideswipe could even see some of the Poly’s lagging and dragging their pedes. From what he’s noticed Poly’s are the most outwardly expressive, being over dramatic to the point his own fits looked subdued. Praxians were _just_ as expressive but one had to look for it. Mostly because for a city mech wings just seemed like a pretty addition to ones frame but he’d realized quickly that they were a lot more for these mecha in the wild.

“Prowl?” Sideswipe called out and plopped out of the cart on his own. He’d gotten better at getting out of the cart even if he struggled to get back in while bound. It had amused him when the first time he called for Prowl after getting out the mech had just assumed he wanted back in. Copper had fallen down in laughter when SIdes got out only just to be hefted right back in and he’d sported the most offended look as of yet.

As the Praxian slowed down and came over to check on Sideswipe the gladiator tugged at the lead. “ _Yours._ ”

“ _No free._ ” Prowl turned to leave and Sides squawked loudly to get his attention.

“ _No free! Yours!_ I want a new view Prowl. Up front, with you.” He pointed forward and then at Prowl. Tugging at the lead he allowed a whine. Prowl still didn’t understand and Copper pulled his taylu back before moving forward and speaking with Prowl. It was a short conversation but Copper’s motions towards the front of the caravan held some promise for waht was being said.

“ _With me._ ” Prowl spoke slowly and reached for the lead. “Sideswipe _with me_.” Nimble praxian fingers tugged at the knot Sideswipe failed to remove time after time. Now though the knot fell away and Prowl tugged at the tether and led Sideswipe to the side of the cart then jogged forward. 

“ _With me!_ ” Prowl snorted and tilted his helm. He corrected the gladiators wording and Sideswipe corrected himself with the new knowledge. “ _With you. … With… Prowl?_ ” Wings flared and Prowl looked smugly at Jazz who was crouching on the lycon pulling the cart. “Sunstreaker?” Jazz looked at Sides then pointed to the cat in front where Sunstreaker was dozing currently. 

At first Sides was alarmed but then he realized his twin must have hit an ‘upgrade’ point. “ _Fuel._ ” He pointed at his brother. His brother would need to up his intake of fuel for a bit. It was likely a gyrose update so that they wouldn’t wear down and the fuel would help the systems integrate. Prowl passed the lead over to Jazz as a commotion near the back caught his attention.

“ _With Jazz._ ” The two briefly spoke then Prowl was slowing his pace and falling behind. 

“He must be like your leader or something, right? He seems to be in charge and when slag happens he deals with it.” Sideswipe spoke up at Jazz who just continued to squat on the horse and look down at him. The little mech’s grin never faltered as SIdeswipe began to just babble and talk. He told Jazz all about Sunstreaker, earning irritation from the bond as an icy optic onlined to glance at Sides.

“Copperplate, Tonic.” Jazz said softly and Sides looked away from his brother to the poly. “Sideswipe, Sunstreaker.”

“Are you asking if we are family like them? Because we are but more. Dunno how to explain a split spark, have you figured that out yet Sunshine?”

“No. Don’t call me that!” The bark of the yellow twin had Jazz cooing and looking between the two. It was obvious that the poly made a mental note of the designation Sunshine for later investigation. 

“Jazz, Prowl.” Tugging he got Sideswipe closer then nodded. “Jazz,” He patted his chest then pointed to Sides, “Prowl.” Sunstreaker shifted to sit up and watch.There was pointing at the open space. They ahd space between them. Jazz and Prowl were not close in some way? PAtting the horse, “Sunstreaker, Tonic” Then his own chest, “Sideswipe, Copper.”

“Why am I the horse?!”

“Oh! Yes! _yes!_ siblings.” Sideswipe pointed to his brother. “He’s my brother. We were carried together.” Jazz nodded as if he understood, he did not. 

“Sideswipe, Prowl.” Jazz lifted his servo’s and clasped them together, interlocking his fingers and he snickered as Sideswipe stumbled. “Jazz, Sunstreaker.” He held the servo’s out to show they were still clasped and Sideswipe hesitated. 

“ _Mine, yours_?” Sides servo’s were bound but he could interlock his fingers still.

Jazz made a sound and perked up. “ _Mates!_ ” Sideswipe tried the word out and Sunstreaker mulled it over too. 

“I… don’t mind it, Sides. Being _mates_ might mean freedom. I think he means like bonded. Not ownership.” Sunstreaker reached out and locked his fingers together. “Bonded. Lovers.” Reaching down he tapped at his interface panel and Jazz’s fans kicked on. He understood that. 

“Jazz!” Sideswipe called loudly and the mech looked down, his grin slipped as he took his optics off Sunstreaker. “Spike.” Sideswipe pumped a servo where his spike was. Jazz snorted and nodded, okay? “Valve.” He pointed lower. And under the visor Jazz’s optics narrowed. He was getting the gist. “ _Yours_?” 

“ _No!_ ” Jazz looked away.

“Jazz.” Sunstreaker called and Jazz looked at him. Tapping his lips the yellow twin waited. It took the Poly several more moments before looking down. 

“ _Spike_?” He made the pumping motion and Sideswipe nodded eagerly. Yes! The words, he wanted the words not Jazz’s array! The poly relaxed and nodded. He understood now. “ _Valve. Interface._ ” They began to make motions of words they wanted to know and then they exchanged words. Sides looked at Sunny and bit his lip before pulsing over what he really wanted to ask and Sunstreaker’s expression darkened. 

“Jazz, _No interface?_ ” The mech looked over alarmed at Sunny. “ _No. Say no okay?_ ” The words were butchered and Jazz would have winced if he hadn't understood their meaning.

“ _Yes. No interface is allowed._ ” It broke the poly’s spark to see their shoulders slump in relief. It really hit Jazz just then, what they must have thought. They were kidnapped, freed from slavery only to not be free. They couldn’t communicate well, and the words they learned were slow and hard. They couldn’t form correct sentence structures, couldn’t ask for things, their wants were not important until they were safe within the tribe. To these two it must feel like what being captured had to Tonic and Copperplate. 

Jazz spoke to them both, mentioning the word free multiple times and another new one they felt was important. _Safe_ They didn’t know what it meant yet, just that he stressed it and repeated it over and over. So they accepted it, they would have to learn later what it meant.   
The poly called out suddenly, “ _Valve._ ”Making both twins look at him strangely then he motioned to his fame and Sides pointed to his panel and Jazz clapped. “ _Servo._ ” Sunny held his servo up and waved. Jazz again clapped then began to call out random words.

Each twin took turns showing off the part or motioning to it, Jazz corrected Sideswipe three times and Sunstreaker only once. He was testing them to see what they remembered and learned. “Prowl.”

Sides hesitated then gave a slow response. “ _Mate?_ Behind Sideswipe someone choked and Sides squealed as Jazz fell off the lycon from laughing. The tether was held well enough that Sides was nearly pulled onto the beast but Prowl grabbed him and hauled him back, pulling Jazz back up. 

“ _Yes. But Prowl!_ ” This time Jazz pointed and Sideswipe grumbled. Yeah, now he understood Jazz was greeting Prowl not asking Sides who he was.

Prowl hefted SIdeswipe up suddenly and held the small gladiator and Sunstreaker growled. _//Hush. This is… nice. It feels nice.//_. Being held close, with an arm behind his back and the other under his knees he found himself growling in contentment. It was a small rumbling sound from his chest and he was surprised at first but then just accepted it. This was okay. Really it was. It was not as okay when Prowl put him with Sunstreaker and tied him up before going to chastise Jazz for something or other.

That night seemed to be different though. All of the previous nights he’d been put into a cart on a mat and covered with a fur blanket or allowed to sit by the fire with his brother until he’d fallen into recharge then they’d be brought to a cart. It was always the thick black fur and it was warm, the heat from it lulled him into recharge and most times he’s wake up only when Jazz brought Sunstreaker over and let them snuggle to recharge. 

Tonight though he was led over to a larger mat upon the ground and his lead was attached to a stake put into the ground. His brother’s golden plaiting gleaned across the fire and he trilled at Prowl in confusion. “Prowl, why am I here? Why is Sunstreaker over there? Where’s Jazz?” Prowl pat his helm and put the blanket around him and made a motion to stay then as he left asked someone to keep an optic on him.

Not that he wanted to run away or nothing, yet. From where he sat he could see as Prowl checked on mecha, the lyconsteeds, made sure fires were good, he was just making his nightly rounds like usual. So why was tonight so different? Why was he out on a roll and not in a cart like most of the other exslaves? Watching Prowl he saw as a bucket of sticks was grabbed and the praxian visited the carts Sides knew the others had been separated into. He gave them their fuel rations and checked on them.

If this mech was really trying to be his mate, then Sideswipe couldn’t be more happy. More Proud. Who else was so lucky to have such a caring mate that would check on even the enslaved? Make sure the entire caravan was taken care of? Prowl’s return was greeted with a churning tank and embarrassment. Sides was apparently hungry. The praxian smiled and held out a few sticks and Sides took two. He was still working his tanks up to be able to properly fuel. 

Prowl sat behind him and wrapped arms around him and Sides froze. Fear trickled in and all he could focus on was what he didn’t want. WAs Prowl expecting something because he had called him his mate?! “Prowl?” The Praxian set his chin on Sideswipe’s shoulder and rumbled in acknowledgement.

_//Sideswipe? What’s wrong?!//_

“ _No. No interface._ ” Sideswipe mumbled and refused to look at the mech, but a finger grasped at his chin and made him. 

“ _No interface._ ” The agreement came easily and then Sideswipe relaxed into the hold. Prowl pressed his helm against Sideswipes then took a stick from the gladiator. He bit it then gave it back when Sides squawked at him. “ _Mate, mine. No slave._ ”

For the first time in his life, Sideswipe fell into recharge with arms wrapped around him that were not Sunstreaker’s. He was not afraid or trying to get away. Sides was glad to snuggle into the Praxian and let the warmth of the soft fur warm him. He could be happy here like this. Could be in peace like this. Perhaps Sunstreaker was right about knowing what would wait them back in a city and his comfort in the knowledge of what the future was. But Sideswipe knew he too was right. This was a good future too.

.~:*:~.

A few nights passed since Sideswipe fell asleep in Prowl’s arms and he was pleased there was never anything more than a few touches or pets to his frame. No want for interface Sideswipe wasn’t okay to give. Just warm snuggles and early mornings. That he was not as okay with but Prowl let him wear the blanket and trudged tiredly after him.

Tonight was another new. Jazz was singing so Sunstreaker was next to Prowl with Sides snuggled up in his ‘mates’ lap. All the ex slaves were allowed near the fire which was a first also. Sideswipe counted fifteen helms. Out of the twenty the caravan started with he was surprised to see such a high number. When Jazz’s song ended a previous dancer stood up and cleared his intakes.

**“Sure she got a frame like an Vosian**   
**But I can give it to you all the time**   
**Sure she got an aft like a Cadillac**   
**But I can send you into overdrive (oh)**   
**You've been waiting for that**   
**Step on up, swing your staff”**

Sideswipe jumped up from Prowl’s lap and the praxian startled but he belted out some words to join in, **“You see anybody could be bad to you. You need a good mech to blow your mind, yeah~”** and the dancer let out a loud happy sound and pointed at him. Suddenly more got up and the dancered started to move in perfect sync. 

Sideswipe’s moves were sluggish and his steps nowhere near as well done as the dancers. His hips moved and bumped along to the song, his pedes shifted here and there and Prowl got an idea of how well his toe block moved. Shoulders lifted and wiggled and he leaned this way and that as he tried to do a more simplistic version of the dance some of the dancers were doing. They looked so happy over there, doing something familiar and a few laughed as they fell out of step but gleefully they caught back of.

The song ended then they didn’t give the wildlings a chance to take back over. They started up another song that Sides didn’t know but from behind him Sunstreaker stood. He was tugged close and turned so they were chassis to chassis. Their sparks reached out yearning for a merge but syncing up while so close. “Dance with me.” It was a demand and then his finger tapped where their servo’s held together. Being bound would make it harder but they could do it.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, repeat. The one dance his brother actually enjoyed! Pedes moved in beat to the eight taps and Sunstreaker took the lead. Every now and again pushing Sides out to twist under his arm, back to front, then back. Twice they walked around each other but their servo’s never let go of each other. 

Meringue their owner had called this. It could be done to any beat, fast or slow, as long as you kept to the one to eight with your steps. All the gladiators were taught this or a form of it, it was to show off at parties. Sideswipe didn’t pretend to know why or how but it was easy and got them out of several battles and still fueled. He eagerly learned it along with his brother. They ended with heaving vents and Sunstreaker looked down at Sides as his brother’s back touched his chassis. Sides looked up and his lips parted as he panted. 

He missed this, having fun with his brother but mostly it was a private thing. Here they were dancing in front of quite a few optics.


	7. What The Fra-?!

Sideswipe almost - _almost_ \- regretted his demand to be allowed to walk. Prowl had reattached him to the cart and had been about to mech handle him into said cart, but Sideswipe growled and snapped teeth at the praxian who snorted. He wasn’t afraid of being bitten but he did understand that basic action. But now after last night’s more energized down time he was feeling it.

It was disappointing that Sunstreaker was tugged away - five or six small polyhexian’s were necessary to actually force the strong gladiator to move - and he was placed elsewhere. _//Do they realize all they have to do is have Jazz crook a small digit at you and you’d willingly follow? Why would they waste the mech power to force you along?//_ Sides pulsed as he glanced around while walking now. It had been too silent for him for the past few joors. 

His twin pulsed over iteration then the bond thinned and Sides pouted. Fine, don’t talk to him. He will be fine. It’s not like he was bored and achy or nothing. Copper came close and pulled his taylu back and Sides narrowed his optics. Everyone made a very exaggerated point of keeping they taylu pulled back or out of his reach at this point and he realized they were making fun at him. He was _not_ amused and the first chance he got he’d tell them just as much. 

Of course as Copper made an even more exaggerated show of it Sides realized it might be best to keep the appendages away for now. His irritation at the joke was making him more likely to nip. “ _Fuel._ ” Copper offered up and held out a servo full of sticks. Before Sides could reply, accept it or bite it angrily right out of the mech’s servos, howls burst from the scouting team.

All around Sides mecha pulled out weapons and worked to hide the carts and themselves. Tugging at his bindings he tried to get free and he called out to whoever darted around. Some glanced at him but most just rushed passed. He was Prowl’s and it was Prowl’s duty to protect him in this situation. The rest of the mismatched tribe kept moving about until very few were left around the cart that was now covered with broken branches and crystalline leaves.

Still stuck he couldn’t move far, his bindings wouldn’t reach far enough to hide him under the cart, he was struggling to get into it on his own, and there wasn’t enough branches or nothing around to use as cover. He could hear whatever had caused the scouts to warn the tribe before he could see them. 

Moments before they came out of the brush Prowl was there or he assumed it was prowl because the hood obscured his features. Then he was forcing Sideswipe to sit down while the hood of his poncho was tugged up over his helm. Prowl squatted down and used his larger frame to cover Sideswipe and the gladiator realized they would look like an oddly placed rock formation. Any mecha would know they didn’t belong, that there was something wrong with a cluster of rocks when there was no other’s.

But the _monsters_ that appeared were no mecha. They looked like they had once been but they no longer had any processing power and they were malformed. Legs too short, knees bowed outwards as they kind of waddled, arms as long as they were tall, knuckles dragging on the ground leaving a trail in the fallen leaves, and their faces- those faces nearly had Sideswipe making a noise but he was unable to even vent as he looked upon them. Jaws hung by the rusting hinges, rows and rows of sharp dagger like denta gleamed, gouged out soulless optics stared at them. Cracks spiderwebbed out from those pits and bits of rendered metals between it’s denta looked to be from mecha they had recently fueled upon if the fairly fresh energon was a hint. Mecha or some mechanimals Sides didn’t know. 

The heard moved on oblivious to the the hidden mecha in trees and crystal formations. Only one at the tail end seemed to slow and paused, sniffing the air and then wandering close to Prowl and Sideswipe. The Praxian discreetly pulled a dagger out of his subspace and Sides watched as the monster sniffed closer and closer before beginning to reach out with those fingers that were broken, bleeding, and with far too many joints. Then it grabbed something from the ground near the pair and began to wander back towards the heard who had begun to leave it behind. In it’s fist were the sticks Copper had tried to give him. The mech had dropped them in the rush and the monster had smelled fuel and come for it. 

Sideswipe’s tanks rolled as the smell of the herd finally hit him but Prowl covered the gladiator’s face with a sweet smelling servo. His own mouth was covered with a scrap of cloth to hide anything he might smell as the smell was so revolting many would give up their position from purging. No one dared move until the rear end scouts sneaked towards the main group and then everyone was rushing to get the carts moving again, going further off the path and into the forest because the trail was obviously the herds hunting track at this point. At this point Sideswipe allowed himself to be shoved into the cart and Prowl jumped up to stand on the edge and keep watch from there.

Sides dared to peek out and he saw several other Praxian’s he’d never noticed before doing the same. Everyone’s wings were spread out wide in the three segments and their helms were on a constant swivel. The sensory panels were probably working over time to download everything they could just to keep this caravan safe. The poly’s of the group sank down to the ground to scurry along, and the few Sides could see were on all fours, and then the rest of the mechs that he had yet to identify - such as Ironhide - were creating a barricade with their backs to the caravan and weapons more than ready.

Whatever those monsters were, they were something very dangerous if this was how such a large caravan would now travel just to stay safe.

.~:*:~.

_//What was that?//_ Sunstreaker asked Sideswipe from across the camp that night. No one started a fire and there were separate groups within the tribe. It hadn't failed to catch the twins’ attention that the usual night guards were doubled and it was those with visors and sight upgrades. Tonight was a stark difference compared to the dancing and singing of last orn.

_//I don’t know, but they spooked the entire tribe. It was...//_ Sides couldn’t form the words but he pulsed his fear to his brother. Nothing in the pits had scared him like that before, and he was considering his brother might be right about returning to slavery over the tribe. 

Now though, returning suddenly became far more dangerous. If those _things_ roamed the wildlands, there was no telling if they would even survive getting to any city. Sideswipe would be honest in saying that if there was a chance of seeing that herd again then he didn’t really want to risk escape.

_//Jazz is on watch because of the visor attached to his helm. I’m with him, but the group on watch is an entire team, each watch group seems to be. Whatever they are, they are dangerous enough to hide from, not allow fire even though it’s been joors, and no one has put away any weapons.//_

Sideswipe looked around and saw that every single mecha still had their weapons out. Even if it wasn’t in their servo it was within servo reach. His own fingers twitched to hold his blades and he wished to have his armor back on, even as damaged as it was. He had hated his bindings before but now he loathed them.

He couldn’t rest even though many in his group tried to make him. Prowl stayed with him, keeping the gladiator practically in his lap, but even that didn’t make him feel any safer. _Monsters_ were out there. Those things were hunting, and Sideswipe couldn’t gain any information about them. No more than he had upon seeing them with his own optics. 

And the smell- he still couldn’t get it out of his nasal cavity-...

Wait. 

It _had_ been gone. As they had traveled the smell had faded and the only lingering ‘smell’ had been his memories of it.

Prowl looked down at him as Sides grabbed at the Praxian’s staff. His working horn heard nothing but a shuffle here and there of the tribe. No mechanimals in the forest made a sound not even hoots or growls of night life. And the smell was back. It was back full force. Sideswipe was shaking as Prowl put a servo on him and realization seemed to hit him then. He tensed up and the entire group did too. 

All around them it rippled the tension as they all took queue from Prowl. Something was not right and they had been so tense, so on alert, they missed little signs. Such as the smell and sounds. It was too late to hunker down and use the forest to hide as they had before. Something gawfed nearby and then those of the caravan scattered. Prowl hefted Sides up over his shoulder and his team bolted. Every team moved in different directions and from Sides position over a shoulder he watched in horror as a group of monsters tore into a team that wasn’t fast enough. 

The monsters were worse than he had remembered. They ate that group alive, clawing at them, removing chunks them shuffling away to squat and tear into an arm, a leg, whatever they had managed to grab. Gurgles rose up and Sideswipe watched as a mech made optic contact with him, a servo reaching out only to be sheared right off by the talons on the tips of those gastly servo’s. One monster shifted to stand taller, sniffing at the air, and it turned towards Prowl’s group. It’s hand lifted and the energon sticks from early were lifted into the monster’s mouth. 

.~:*:~.

The moment Prowl put Sideswipe down the gladiator shuffled to press hard against the Praxian, he was still horrified by what he’d seen and it was just so much worse he couldn’t talk to anyone about it. Not even his brother anymore. When the tribe had scattered it seemed to be an unspoken agreement that all of the small groups parted ways so as to make it harder for the monsters. 

Sunstreaker was alive and nervous. The last thing Sideswipe had registered of his twin was watching gleaming plating bolting where Jazz pointed with six or seven Poly’s attached to him. Jazz had been hefted up to sit on shoulders, he had two others carried like sacks, and multiple others had grasped onto the charging gladiator and hung on so as to not be left behind. It would have been a hilarious situation had one of those things not been right on his aft with nearly all of the Poly’s trying to beat it away. 

Thankfully the bond was open and they were still close enough to get heightened pulses of feelings even if they couldn’t communicate any longer. Sunny was filled with energy, wanting to fight/protect/kill and Sides was held tight against the Praxian feeling safe/nervous/angry. He let out a shuddering vent and looked up at Prowl who was looking like a physical manifestation of his brother. 

Nasal flared as he forced out heavy vents and took in scents, glower in his optics, and a snarl upon his lips. Prowl was on guard as were all the other mechs that had been with them, listening, smelling and waiting for the monsters Sideswipe now called death. Once again he was thinking that the pits were a heavenly place compared to these wildlands. At least his enemies there were just mecha in as bad of a situation fighting to survive as he had been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The monsters are very specifically for my friend :D


	8. Sideswipe Meets A Cliff

Prowl’s servo soothed over Sideswipe’s back as the gladiator pressed against him. The motion seemed to be automatic and Prowl didn’t seem to realize he was even doing the comforting gesture. Or maybe Prowl knew just what he was doing because as soon as Sideswipe began to calm down and shift away, there was pressure on his back pulling him close once again. Not that Side’s minded or anything, even if it was awkward feeling to be hugged with his servo’s still bound.

Sighing softly he stayed pressed close and shifted into a slightly more comfortable position. Resting his helm on Prowl’s chest, hearing the spark under the poncho and armor pulsing, helped him calm down even more. His rampant battle coding settled as it registered that this sound was _safe_. Prowl’s spark wasn’t pulsing rapidly, it was slow and calm even as he discussed plans and routes with those around him. How they would get to the tribe or meet up with others Sides didn’t know. But with this spark drowning out everything else he felt like it didn’t matter that he didn’t know.

When Prowl’s servo stopped rubbing his back through his poncho, Sides looked up. The Praxian was looking down at him contemplatively. His thoughts far away and Sideswipe wouldn’t even venture to guess at them. But he would reach his bound servo’s up to rest them on the mech’s chassis and regain his attention. “Prowl?” 

A deep vent was drawn in as the mech came back to reality and looked down. His servo lifted and grasped Sideswipe’s chin kibble. “ _Mine. You are safe._ ” Sideswipe didn’t understand much of that but Prowl leaned further and continued to speak. Then he pressed their lips together in one of the most chaste kisses Sideswipe had ever seen - he’d never kissed before so this was new! - and then the barbarian pulled back and taped their helms together. The red chevron tapped his tapered helmet and then Prowl was scooping him up.

Sideswipe squawked but couldn’t do much else as the Praxians began to move fast. They changed directions away from a path that seemed to lead down into what would be a ravine if it continued deep enough, and Sideswipe got the distinct feeling of going up. They were headed towards the mountain he could see in the distance. Maybe the mechs thought those monsters didn’t venture there? Perhaps the monsters were known to go down or to darker areas? It sucked to not know much.

.~:*:~.

Sideswipe paced the cave the Praxian’s had picked to rest in. He hated it and he couldn’t leave. Not even just to be outside and looking around. The mecha had climbed up the cliff face when they had spotted a flat wall of it. Sideswipe’s arms had been lifted to be around Prowl’s neck, wings flared wide, and then he was hefted up and his legs urged to wrap around a firm waist. Sideswipe determined, after that kiss before, this was the most aroused he had ever been even if he wasn't actually aroused. It was very pleasing to hold the Praxian like this. Now here he was in the cave while everyone ate fuel sticks and two kept watch for in the off chance the monsters came.

It also felt like now was the time to offer up his complaints. Settled down in the safety of this place, with the fear having evaporated as he’d been carried like a sack for most of the orn, he wanted to let off his stream. Needed to really and as he couldn’t pace around, this would be the next best thing. He hated how this all was happening so fast and he just couldn’t stay quiet without letting off the built up energy. 

Sides was now ranting and raving much to everyone’s dismay. “-And that _kiss_ \- I can’t believe you’d try something like that you good for nothing, and giving me _no_ say in any of this! If you had just _asked_ I might have been able to say yes and-” He turned to Prowl and stormed over to the mech. 

With his servo’s still bound he managed to point at the unamused leader of the group as he spoke. Prowl, apparently annoyed at him about all of this noise, stood up and flared his wings. Showing dominance or some other bullslag! Standing up as tall as he could also he glared up at Prowl and swallowed hard. If that’s how this is going to go he could still beat the mech. 

As long as the others stood down and let him that is. 

Prowl reached forward and grabbed his horns lightly, but still he crumpled much to the barbarians shock. Sideswipe’s optics swam and he swayed as he dizzily reached up to one side. Well that answered about if that horn was still there or not. It was but it had to be utterly crushed. Before his fingers could touch it though Prowl grabbed his servo and shook his helm. It would be best not to touch it, especially as his reaction to just the small stimuli had been so intense. 

Prowl kneeled down and pulled Sides close as if to hug him. A servo smoothed over his back under the thin cloth of the poncho. Soothing him and helping him to relax so as to get his haywire sensors to calm again. When everything stopped spinning Sideswipe let out a soft keening sound and looked up at Prowl.

Instead of even trying to talk - especially when they both knew that Sides wouldn’t understand the words - Prowl leaned forward and pressed his chevron to Sideswipe’s helm again. The small gasp from surrounding Praxian’s along with them shuffling to avoid looking at them let Sideswipe know this was an intimate gesture. Something for bonded or those intending to bond.

Sideswipe’s optics softened and he let out another tiny keen, this one showing his joy rather than pain. He- he liked this. Knowing that he was chosen for something and treated like he was special, important. Even if he was still tied up. But maybe that was part of their courtship? Maybe keeping one bound and depending on you showed dominance or - or it might be an intention to show the other could take care of you. That Prowl took responsibility for him and could protect him even if he didn’t need it.

Hesitantly Sides pulled back and he saw sorrow on the Praxian’s face. “Prowl,” The mech didn’t move away and waited, watching Sideswipe until Sides leaned forward and initiated the helm tapping gesture. Perhaps this was considered a kiss to the barbarians. Considering the harsh intake of air from Prowl, he was likely right in his guess. Prowl carefully began touching Sideswipe’s helm, avoiding his bad horn and trailing his fingers everywhere else.

The digits only paused as they trailed over the back of Sideswipe’s neck and fingered a recently a recently acquired scar. The reminder of that had Sideswipe jerking away and reaching up. His fingers trailed over it and he had this spark broken look as he vividly remembered. They had been headed to an auction, but he and Sunny had been bought already. There was a chance someone would try to outbid this buyer but it was unlikely so he’d already been prebranded. His owner’s designation or insignia was on his neck, his brother’s neck, if someone _did_ outbid the mech the etching would be filled in then a new etching of the new owner would be put on them. 

“Sideswipe?” Prowl carefully reached out, he didn’t touch but his servo hovered over Sideswipe’s cheek vents. Sides moved forward to place him helm onto Prowl’s shoulder and the mech took it as an invitation to hug him again. “Sideswipe?”

“Sideswipe… _slave._ ” He tapped at his neck and He knew the praxian would be confused. He had previously showed the engraving on his shoulder as his slavery branding, which it was, but his neck was a more… personal one. It was the mark of his owner while his shoulder just let the planet know he wasn’t free.

“ _No! Sideswipe you are free. Yes, you are mine, but I am yours. You are no slave. You are free to choose now. To pick if you want to be mine or someone else’s. But I am committed to you and hope you would pick me in return too._ ” Prowl spoke far more than Sideswipe knew, his words fast and hard as he continued on his mini rant but Sideswipe understood well enough. Prowl was explaining the situation.

Chuckling he shook his helm and pressed harder against Prowl. “I don’t know what you are saying, sewer slug, but I appreciate it. Thank you.” Outside down below there was a roar, the small fire was smothered and everyone silenced as they waited for the situation to pan out.

Whether it was a Cryptid or some other natural beast didn’t matter to the group of survivors. Whatever it was was still dangerous and they were not ready to deal with anything like it anytime soon. Even if Sideswipe knew he could take one or two of the cryptids, that didn’t mean he really wanted to. Especially as they seemed to travel in _heards_ and not just alone or in pairs.

“Prowl?” Sideswipe whispered and the mech shifted back away from him, out of the hug. He looked at Sides who lifted his servo’s. “ _Free. With you._ ” He wasn’t going to run away, but he couldn’t help defend them if he was tied up tighter than a razorboar. And nobody wanted a razorboar to be free and stampeding.

For a few moments it looked like Prowl really would release him. That the Praxian was going to trust Sideswipe to stay with the group and help them. But then a few grunts from others around had Prowl shaking his helm. As much as it disappointed and upset Sides he understood. Prowl could let him free and it would be a risk to the group. So when Prowl went to leave Sideswipe grabbed a servo and smiled up at him and gave a nod. The high tilt to his wings lowered enough that Sideswipe made the connection between that action, and shoulders slumping in relief.

Sideswipe followed Prowl away from the middle of the cavern to the back where the Praxian situated himself leaning against a rock and relaxing his wings so they would rest too. Then he tugged Sides into his lap and fluffed his poncho out to help give Sideswipe a second layer to rest with. It took a lot of will power for Sideswipe not to just burst out laughing at this position. Two helms popped out of one poncho. Glancing up and seeing Prowl’s own little smirk, he knew Prowl felt the same.

Instead of actually laughing he calmed down upon seeing the expression from the Praxian looking down at him. Smiling he snuggled up to Prowl eagerly and he offlined fairly quickly, falling into a solid recharge. His brother felt near, and felt safe for now. Even if there were agonized complainey feelings about mud thrumming over the bond.

Sides was about to online for the orn - maybe in a joor or so - when his bond ticked. Something was off with Sunstreaker. There was fear, a need for help, but the lack of immediate urgency is what really caught his attention. It wasn’t immediate but would be soon. 

_//How soon? Now? In the dark? Or could Sunny hold off until the sun rose a bit higher? Can make it in the light.//_

No response and Sides didn’t expect any, considering he expected they were fairly far away. But then, clear as the sky was, a reply came. 

_//Two orn at most.//_ It wouldn’t take two orns, especially if Sunstreaker was close enough to actually communicate. _//Wait till it’s light. Safe for you. Need you to be prepared. One monster, slaver’s leading it. Poly’s slightly hurt.//_

Sideswipe perked up at that and disentangled himself form Prowl’s cloak. The Praxian was resting still and shifted as Sides fingered over some of his plaiting. He found a seam that was different and struggled with himself before deciding he needed to. Pick pocketing the subspace he found a small dagger and put it into his own before shuffling about and moving to stand lookout.

He had to focus, the sun was rising behind him, silhouetting himself but making the world below explode in vivid detail. The crystal forest, outcroppings of rock formations, bladed ‘grass’ like fields, he could see it all and if he focused enough he could pulse it to his brother. Immediately his helm snapped in a direction, there. His brother was there holding off a monster and defending the Poly’s. 

They were hidden, one offlined, but Sunny’s bulk was able to hold a solid rock in place of the cave’s entrance. He was a barrier that would fail soon and when he did, they would run. He would have too. He couldn’t defend them all, not without Sides there.

 _//I’m coming. Everyone’s onlining now. When close, run. Get to… I’ll find a place on the way. Meet there.//_ Sunstreaker confirmed and his resolve strengthened as the bond refused to close. 

“Prowl?” Sides pointed towards where thin spires of smoke were. Prowl had come up behind him, tense but silent. He nodded and kept an optic on Sides. Neither were stupid, they both knew Sides had the blade. Prowl was waiting, considering his options, and seeing that Sides was still bound let him keep the dagger. The other’s didn’t need to know and he was trusting the gladiator not to use it except in defense.

“ _Home._ ” Prowl touched Sideswipe’s shoulder then pointed up. They were climbing up, top of the ridge was far safer.

Just like last orn Prowl hooked Sides arms over his neck and the gladiator war sped his legs around the mech’s waist to hold on. They climbed until the found a small landing, not the top but a solid place that could hold three mecha. 

Sides was released and then some other Praxian led the way along a smaller walkway. They were walking around the mountain on the thinnest ledge path possible. No monster would fit, unless someone was slow and careful they could easily fall. But Sideswipe was careful and Prowl helps a tight hold on his lead for a while until the mecha was sure Sides was okay to move on his own. Joors passed and Sideswipe paused when the mech in front did. 

Using this chance he located where Sunny would be near and then had an epiphany. Looking down, he pulsed to his brother. An exact location and what his plan would be. Prowl grunted and Sides looked at him, the mech in front had moved. Nodding Sideswipe gathered up his lead and pretended to contemplate his footing.

But then he leaned away from the cliff and he watched as panic set into Prowl’s face. Sideswipe had leaned too far back and he was falling, there was no flailing, no fighting it. He was free falling in seconds and the mecha behind Prowl was blocking Prowl in, not letting him jump after Sideswipe. 

The roar of a monster below chilled all of the Praxian’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Art of this chapter!](https://jazzyims.tumblr.com/post/190412873923/lost-in-the-wilderness-sideswipe-and-sunstreaker) IT's my own art so unfortunately it's not that good, but enjoy anyway!


	9. Somewhere in a Mud Pit

Sunstreaker sighed as he watched his brother and Blank. It tugged at him inside when he watched the two. It wasn’t jealousy, it was far worse. It was resignation. The knowledge that in the end he would have to help his brother hide his feelings, hide how attached to the younger gladiator he was. Then he would have to be there when Blank was removed from them. When the hybrid was killed or sold off. Sideswipe would be spark broken and Sunny could only hope that by that point his brother won’t have any feelings further than just friendship.

.~:*:~.

The little Polyhexians snarled and growled, teeth bared at anyone that got near enough to seem threatening. Sunstreaker was not surprised to see his brother waltzing right up. “Hey!” Sides greeted and Sunstreaker stood a bit taller, optics narrowing as he watched those talons on the Poly’s. But something about his brother, either his charisma or his smile that could break apart a storm, kept the duo from trying to attack. “I’m going to untie you but you gotta know, you’re slaves.” 

Sideswipe kneeled and Sunstreaker was there at his brother’s back in an instant. He didn’t smile, he didn’t offer any comfort. In fact the two poly’s shank back at him standing there, arms crossed looking every bit the threat he was. SIlent and deadly. He didn’t make friends, he only kept his brother alive. Only fought and killed. He was a survivor and he dragged his brother kicking and screaming into the next orn sometimes.

“Slaves. See?” Sides showed his shoulder to them and Sunstreaker had to narrow the bond or risk his composure. Sides was always so spark broken when explaining to the new mecha what everyone here was. “No one here wants to be. We are all trapped. Slaves. You are slaves, we are slaves, everyone is a slave here.” 

Sideswipe reached out and pointed to the fresh engravings on the poly’s left shoulders. They surprised Sunstreaker when they looked like they understood. Their optics looked from their shoulders, to Sideswipes, and then his. He watched their expressions as they went from angry hatred and blame, to horror. The Poly’s now knew where they were. They knew what this was.

A kennel, filled with mecha that were being sorted and trained. Gladiators like Sides and himself, buy mecha, pleasure mecha, dancers, whatever a mecha could be trained and sold for, they were here to be sorted. These two looked strong though, warrior like. Gladiators, Sunstreaker was sure and he felt over the bond agreement. 

Smart mecha with strong frames. They would soon be tossed with the twins in the gladiators dorms. No one here could beat the twins yet and if Sides liked these two they would be safe in the dorms. If not… Sunstreaker didn’t want to contemplate it. “Slaves?” Icy blue optics brightened in shock as Sunstreaker watched the two below him. They were very smart. He might even like them himself if they weren’t going to be too intrusive.

.~:*:~.

“Listen up, Sewer slugs, the auction is orns away and you best be on your best behavior,” Sunstreaker stood next to his brother perfectly as they had been trained. As much as they hated this life, as much as they loathed battle and killing their opponents, they knew their place. Sunstreaker knew his and he made sure Sideswipe never lost sight of what their fate was. This wasn’t something they could escape or be freed of.

When their conditioner, the mech that trained and conditioned them into being good little slaves, finished his derogatory speech Sunstreaker looked at his brother and fought to keep from smiling. “Sewer slug? He called us… what even is a…. Green or is it orange…” Sideswipe had looked for all the part to have been paying attention. But apparently he had lost all attention at the use of the derogatory animalistic reference. 

“Sewer slugs are those small things that they warn you about around the pits edges. They eat the offlined frames and chunks left behind. If you get one or two it will die off before it can kill you.” Sunstreaker offered up to his twin who suddenly had a realization what they were.

“Oh! Those! If you get enough in you they will offline you.” Sunstreaker nodded. Rare as it was, the little parasites could offline a mecha if enough of them got into the frame. They would eat the mecha from the inside out and most times its within the orn. If one or two got in they weren’t enough of a danger to survive all the moving crushing mechanisms in a frame.

Moving away from his twin who was hurrying over to Blank, probably to share his realization of what a sewer slug was, Sunstreaker found himself at the barred gate that led down a forking hallway. In three orn’s time they would be walking down this hallway and for the second time in their existence, going down the hall on the right. 

The only other time any of them go down that hall, is when they are being dragged down to this room for their initiation. Their first days here. Sunstreaker remembered that orn, he remembered it in vivid detail. Too vivid sometimes he felt. Perhaps he had made up the fear, the large mecha who all towered over the children they had been.

 _//I remember it too, Sun. You didn’t imagine it.//_ Sideswipe pulsed to him, it made Sunstreaker angry to feel the exhaustion his brother had. It wasn’t a physical ailment, that would never pass with their destiny of being gladiators. But in his spark he was tired. He was wearing out and he wanted to end it some orns. Wanted to call it quits and just not online. 

_//We were younglings. Could be mistaken.//_ Not that either believed that.

Sunstreaker moved away to sit in a corner and watch everyone. Sideswipe moved to his side and sat down with him. Both of them were weary now. They had been through so much together, they couldn’t be separated but it sometimes felt like they were losing traction. One day they would be separated if only because someone will go to the well first. 

They had trained for so long, had fought to survive and make it, that it was hard not to imagine they would die together. Since they were sold to the pits from the science labs they were always being trained to survive and kill. They never got the chance to even consider running away. If they ever fled, if they ever showed their backs, they were dead mecha. No matter how big or scary their opponents were they couldn’t run. Yes they could retreat and create a strategy, but that was different. They would fight eventually they just needed solid footing first. 

Sideswipe was always better at planning than him, he was the brute force of the two. They could take down _tanks_ easily when together. Sure they could individually take down a tank but that was hard. They came out of those matched dented and bloodied most times. Sideswipe more so than himself. But when together, they were a _force_ that many could not handle. With the bond open and everything shared every move was instantaneous. Sideswipe could create a plan and they could enact it. 

They had each other’s backs and they were _one_. They had the benefit of four optics, two processors, eight limbs, and their individual strength. He was good at force, at head on attacks, sideswipe was very flexible. They moved together like energon flowed. No opponent they had would _ever_ be too much when they were together.

_//It will be okay Sun, we’ve already been sold as a set. We just gotta get to Helex.//_

.~:*:~.

The attack was a surprise. Barbarian’s just poured in. He was taken down first even if he wasn’t offline. Something wrapped around his legs and pulled hard. He cracked his helm on the caravan and he couldn’t move. If they had attacked _anyone_ else this would have been vastly different. There had been no sign of an impending attack. Has he prepared at all he could have raised a weapon, shifted so that he wasn’t downed, or even fallen and not hit his helm.

Anything else.

Sideswipe gave up his position, stood over him. His little twin was defending him against three wildlings. But he was struggling. Anymore and-! A staff whipped out, strigins Sideswipe on the heml and downing the red twin. The same staff whapped down and Sunstreaker knew no more.

.~:*:~.

Freedom wasn’t very freeing, Sunstreaker decided. He was tied up and away from his brother and he didn’t like it. Not one fragging bit. Sure he was walked around like a hound on a leash and no one beat him, there was no battling, and he was fueled. But his _brother was not here_. Sunstreaker often ground his denta and snarled at the polys that hung around him. They fragging _flocked_ to him it seemed. 

After the incident with Barricade - Sunstreaker made sure to learn the designation of the last mech he would kill without acceptable reason - and Sideswipe he found himself far more on edge. But somehow the small poly who had claimed him also put him at ease. It was odd to Sunstreaker especially because he learned how odd the poly really was. 

Jazz wore a subspace helmet. For one, he would tuck all of his taylu - the stupid stands that hung from every poly’s helm - into it and snap on a visor. He was the _only_ one Sunstreaker had seen this entire time that did that. No one else had a visor and no one else removed their helmets. Sunstreaker assumed that everyone else was like he and his twin with the helmet as an integral part of their helms. And that was just the first of a long list of things. 

The second would be how cuddly the mech was! No matter how often in the recharge cycle he pushed Jazz away, he would online again later with the poly touched under his poncho and snuggled all cute and tiny like against him. The other poly’s would huddle around his back but they didn’t go under the poncho or get as snuggly. He would, of course, disentangle himself, move away and then recharge a few feet away only to awake and repeat!

Sunstreakers final _large_ irritant was that Jazz was more often than not, **dirty** It was like the mech seemed to roll around in any of the few mud puddles that existed. He could somehow sense the mud and then refresh when his _layer_ of filth was chipped away. It infuriated him to the point he stole a poncho and rubbed the poor poly to a pristine shine one orn. And this good for nothing sewer slug **came back ten clicks later covered in mud!** Sunstreaker was more than ready to wring his filthy little neck for that.

He only stuck to the poly because he had no choice in the matter. Sides called him a liar but dropped it without any provocation. Often Sunstreaker’s optic would twitch because his brother was right. The other polys had to drag him if they wanted him to move, but Jazz just crooked a tiny finger at him and he followed. Never had _anyone_ been allowed to climb him. Not even Sideswipe. But Jazz had managed to scale him and he hadn't dared to move at first. 

But then Prowl had bellowed and initiated his battle programing to start up, he had instinctively shifted to look towards the threat. Off balancing the little Poly had sent a jolt of fear/worry/distress though him and the bond. Thankfully he caught the small mech and glared down at Jazz acting as if he would pull a stunt like his idiot brother and bite a taylu too. Jazz just patted his chassis and then jumped down to lead him somewhere after Prowl grunted and growled at him.

.~:*:~.

Sunstreaker found that with all this ‘freedom’ they had been given, because anything that had him able to walk more than the small crowded rooms with other slaves was freedom to him and his brother at this point, he agreed with his brother’s boredom. But he wouldn’t admit to it if he could avoid it. He didn’t have some valid reason such as he was too good to be bored or that he wanted to hide his feelings and act strong. Oh no, it was simply to not validate his brother’s complaints and give Sides _more_ reasons to complain. Sideswipe was whining already so if he let his twin know he felt the same… Sunstreaker heaved a sigh at just how vocal his brother would become, then he perked up. 

He couldn’t speak exactly of what he was seeing as he had moved a bit further from his brother, but he could pulse it. The twin bond was odd he often felt, even if he didn’t know what a normal bond was. But being able to speak to Sides clear as the orn even if he didn’t make a single audible sound felt like it wasn’t normal. Sure it might be normal for _twins_ but not for a usual bond. And when they were further away like now they could pulse a lot more distinct feelings and awareness to each other. Like they could hold conversations just not ones that felt as vocal.

Focusing Sunstreaker let his emotions twist and twirl at what he saw. There was a tree he picked each leave distinct and beautiful as they threw off different hues and not a single one the same color as the last. It was beautiful, it caused him to feel such joy at the beauty of it and if he thought too much into it he might just cry from the adoration he felt. The trunk a hard metal that was a light silver with a few scratches here and there, the darkened cuts only made it more distinct and beautiful. It stood tall and beautiful, a force to be reckoned with. It was peaceful and loving and he let his brother know. All around it a crystal outcropping, each large chunk like an individual lamp, throwing off rainbow after rainbow of brilliant colors.

His brother guessed it. This would be a good game, a way to stave off boredom for them both. Sunstreaker would find object he found appealing, ignoring Jazz the entire time because he would not get into such unknown territory while playing a game with his brother. It lasted until the pit spawned garbage disposal that claimed his brother distracted him. Sunstreaker was left alone for a short while.

Jazz was there suddenly, probably knowing Sunstreaker was distracted though Sunstreaker thought it was obvious the poly didn’t realize he and his brother were twins. Somehow Jazz knew his attention was now back and the small mech was talking again. He did this at times, talked to Sunstreaker and let his musical tone sooth whatever was beginning to agitate the gladiator. Somehow this little being was just what he needed. Finally giving up on all agitation he let the mech continued to talk and he tugged at Jazz, leading him over to a lyconsteed and plucked the poly up and set him on the beast before jumping onto the front of the cart like he had seen some Praxian’s do. They were standing guard, he was just being lazy.

The aforementioned garbage disposal, Prowl, was suddenly there. One moment he wasn’t and now he was. And he was poking at Sunstreaker’s peds trying to glance under his armor. Sideswipe found great amusement in this but pleased for Sunstreaker to not break that perfect olfactory so he didn’t. Instead Sunstreake squatted and jumped. The cart creaked and jerked, causing the steed to nervously dance. And then Sunstreaker was landing nimbly on the ground. He ignored the crater his jump had created and then just walked off.

He hadn’t been showing off. Not at all. He was _threatening_ Prowl. **Look what a little jump could do. Back off or you will learn what a kick can do.**

.~:*:~.

A nap of all things, Sunstreaker had found he _liked_ recharging with the sun beating down on him and the little poly watching him. Staring at his gleaming gold with what Sunstreaker assumed was want. He was handsome and Jazz wanted him. He would need to shine his plaiting up for the little mech when they finally settled then get Jazz to a gleam if only to let him ruin it later.

Peeking out of a dimmed optic he saw his brother trotting alone next to Jazz as Prowl abandoned them for a commotion near the back. At the very least the glitch was high ranking and smart. He could easily take care of Sideswipe and reign the smaller twin’s antics in when he got bored. Maybe with Prowl at the camp Sides would never be bored again. As smart as Prowl was, he’d learn that a bored Sideswipe was not something to be yearned for.

“Are you asking if we are family like them? Because we are but more. Dunno how to explain a split spark, have you figured that out yet Sunshine?” Sunstreaker onlined instantly and sat up at the back of the cart, a glower as his expression. He didn’t want Jazz to start calling him that!

“No. Don’t call me that!” He knew he shouldn’t snap at his brother but Sideswipe rolled with it, understanding him perfectly as only Sideswipe could.

Their little game of words gave SUnstreaker a lot to think over. Especially thinking of being bonded to the little Poly. He wouldn’t mind it after all. If only he could teach the mech _not_ to be so muddy. Thankfully recently there hadn’t been as many mud pits for Jazz to seek out. Somehow… even with the mud… he didn’t have any ill feelings about being with Jazz as adults would. As bonded would.

Jazz was aghast as Sideswipe tried to convey he wanted to ask how to say the words along the lines of Sunstreaker’s thoughts. No, idiot. He’s not asking to see yours. “Jazz.” When the poly looked at him, Sunstreaker tapped his own lips trying to urge the poly to think through what they had been doing and what sideswipe was really asking. He was proud when Jazz seemed to figure it out and they could continue to learn. 

When Sideswipe verified they were allowed to choose to say yes or no, he knew Jazz had more to think on after this. That perhaps their life as slaves had more horror than he knew, and that was true. No one really understood what he and Sides had been through. No one knew they had been sparked and their first memories were of a science lab and testing. 

How were twins created? How did they survive? Why did they offline so easily? What was a twin bond? They had been lucky to be experimented on near the end of the twin craze. No one really cared that much at that point and the tests had been mild compared to others they knew existed. They had survived and hadn’t been dissected after all. They were even luckier to have been sold to the pits after minor rights were given to slaves such as gladiators not being used as berth toys. 

There had been some big scandal of using gladiators then the mecha throwing fights and willingly offlining. So many credits had been lost, riots had started, and Kaon had to find a way to fix it before they lost the slave trade and the pits. The twins had been acquired after the law saying gladiators and dancers weren’t to be used like pleasure mecha, this saved the slaves from stopping work and costing profit. The pleasure mech business boomed and it settled all those that had been angry. No one was free, but that was another horror the twins had been spared. He would need to tell that to Jazz when they could speak better. 

It was only after Sideswipe was taken away that Sunstreaker felt something off. His brother was worried about something. There was fear. But then it was soothed over. Prowl was being a good mate. He was reassuring Sideswipe that Jazz hadn’t lied. That they ahd the right to say no and that they wouldn’t be forced. Sunstreaker was finally agreeing with his brother that this might not be such a bad future anymore. 

.~:*:~.

Jazz had been singing to Sunstreaker all those times in the journey to help sooth him. It was obvious now as Jazz sang to the entire caravan. The wildling sang a song that Sunstreaker recognized, it had been one he’d sang a few orns ago when Sunstreaker had nearly attacked a poly that had touched him and been getting too handsy. After chasing the mecha away Jazz had sang as an apology and it had been nice. 

The poly up on a steed and Sunstreaker again at his side, walking a bit faster than usual but not out pacing the caravan helped to cool him off and the tone of the song had sent tingles down his spinal struts. It had soothed him over as Sideswipe’s petting of his back often did. It was nice to listen and now that it was being properly sang, loud and with the beating of whatever others could hit, it soothed him enough to not be worried about his brother snuggled up in the slug sucker’s lap.

A dancer slave stood up after Jazz finished and the mecha began to sing. It was stupid, the song overly popular and used up at the point they’d left but it was _brilliant_ now. It got everyone that was bound in a better mood and several others struggled to stand as they got into a cheerful excited mood. Sunstreaker was about to pulse over his annoyance when Sideswipe shot up, _//I know this song!//_ The utter joy that pulsated over the bond stole Sunstreaker’s breath away.

Watching Sideswipe have fun belting offkey and slightly out of sync but dancing and having fun he realized just how important tonight was. The wildlings were able to pick up the beat and bang on things in tune, they warbled out sounds that was likely like hums and followed along with everyone. Sideswipe was thrilled and looked back at him at the end of the song.

He was standing up and holding out a servo. His twin took it happily and they fell into a well practiced dance to the beat of eight. Sunstreaker led and while it was a bit awkward with both of them having servo’s bound and ropes dangling freely, they still managed to dance. This dance wasn’t one they would normally choose but it was the only one Sunstreaker knew. And now they were free and dancing in a group of beings that they were beginning to trust, they were taking this dance. This was their dance now and they were bonding to it.

Sideswipe’s back was against Sunstreaker’s front but still their sparks reached out. THey fell in sync in their own dance and together they were perfect. They were right. Bonding to others and never together had been a fear of theirs before, but now it seemed okay. It would be fine and they would never really be torn apart. Even if Sideswipe was picking the sewer slug as his.

.~:*:~.

Sunstreaker was annoyed as his flock of polyhexian’s tugged at his lead. Dragging him away. Where was his Jazz? Why was it these mecha and not his mate? He was brought to Jazz who was trying to calm an antsy steed. The poly looked up at him and for once didn’t smile. Something had the poly’s spooked and they brought him to Jazz because of it. 

Before Jazz or he could even try to communicate through motions some alarm went out. A warning of some sort Sunstreaker was sure because as soon as it went out there was a lot of motion. Everyone was freaking out and some of the herders were rushing to gather the steeds and bolt into the woods as fast as possible. Then Jazz was pushing at him getting him into the cart and throwing tons of fur on him and barking at others getting them into trees and hidden with cloaks. The last possible moment the poly dove into the cart, burrowing under him and covered his mouth with something sickly sweet smelling. 

Sunstreaker didn’t dare say anything with how Jazz was acting. Instead he touched the poly then held the cloth himself. Jazz relaxed upon realizing that Sunnstreaker would sit and stay quietly even without any kind of explanation. Then _they_ appeared. 

The monsters had him ready to burst out of the cart and attack. He was prepared to fight and offline. In an instant he was reminded of his entire life up to the point of travel. Sunstreaker tensed, straining against his bonds as the battle protocols turned on instantly, and then Jazz was touching his servos and glancing up at him. It was hard to calm down enough to focus and get his attention shifted from attack to defend. When he managed to shift the protocols, he carefully shuffled to cover Jazz better. 

The herd of those things moved on soon enough and then the caravan was on the move again. Jazz was held tight, not allowed to leave as Sunstreaker guarded him better than a predacon it’s hoard. The poly just kept petting him trying to reassure him and wiggle free, but Sunstreakerwas having none of that. Soon enough they were out and Sunstreaker let jazz leave only to quickly gather poly after poly and leave then near Jazz. 

When some wandered off he reclaimed them and had a grouping of about ten polyhexians kept with him. The group that normally flocked to him. All except one was here but he’d hunt that little fragger down- hah! He scooped up the poly to its surprise then strutted across the small camp to put him with the group. He did a helm count, grabbed Jazz as he tried to sneak off, and then let out a purr. Everyone was here and accounted for. 

The smelter huffer had Sideswipe nice and safe, and Sunstreaker had his flock. The monster herd had already long since passed and Jazz had tried, all through Sunstreaker’s collection process, to convince him that they wouldn’t double back. Sunstreaker feigned ignorance and an inability to understand the poly. He may not understand the words but with all the gesturing he got the message. Times like this was when he was grateful for the language barrier. The poly’s had given up trying to leave his flock and just went on watch together. He stood guard near the back with Jazz watching to make sure there would be no escapees.

Sunstreaker found that he was immensely _glad_ to have insisted, even if he was for once _displeased_ to have been right. The monsters had returned and Sunstreaker tossed Jazz up to sit on his shoulders and the poly released him from his bonds. Then he gathered as much of his flock as possible, around six, to hang on his arms and the rest just grabbed onto him and he ran as Jazz directed. The monsters noticed him, one or two swiped at him, but even with his insane burden of poly’s they didn’t get him. It helped that even though he was slowed the poly’s acted as a weapon used barrier.

Anytime any monster got close there were those with bows and other’s with bladed weapons to slice at them and encourage the monsters away. He made it into the forest and kept following where Jazz points. Obviously the poly had some idea of where to go to get to safety or head towards the main camp.

Sideswipe was - from what Sunstreaker could feel of him - safely tossed over the slum fragger’s shoulder. Safe and away from the monsters. Monster’s Sunstreaker feared he understood more than the wildlings did. There was a _mark_ on the monsters. He couldn’t see it too well but there had been a distinct familiarity about it. He couldn’t yet place it, yet there was an inkling at the back of his professor about it -

Branch! 

He sprung before he could even register why and a poly squeaked and lifted it’s dangling legs to avoid whacking them on the log that was across their path. Jazz began to pat at his helm insistently and he began to slow. He still huffed heavily, blowing hot air out of every vent to try and cool his overworked and high strung frame. His battle coding refused to shut down because there were monsters, he’d run from the fight to protect his flock and now they were safe. Time to go back and kill what was threatening them.

But Jazz directed him differently. He had a safe place to hide and to calm. To recoup and prepare for the next orn. It was a mud pit. Not an actual mud pit but there was mud in the cavern and he hated it. If he was going to protect them, he did not want to be coated in the sludge. But the poly’s all scurried to it, coating their frames and he realized it wasn’t just because, but they blended in easily compared to before or even with the cloaks. 

Sunstreaker braced himself against a large boulder and began to close their hideaway with it. If the monsters followed them, they were too large to get in. He could hold this place a few orns until Sideswipe could find him. They would fight and kill. They were battle ready even if his brother was naked. 

He nearly shrieked as mud was slapped onto him then rubbed around. Servo after servo joined him and the flock was coating him, his gold dulled until it wasn’t even visible. He put his pede down when jazz reached for his fins. _No! Absolutely not!_ The poly looked hesitant then reached for a poncho and tore it into strips to wrap over the fins. It dulled his hearing but not as bad as the mud would have. The mud could have deafened him. This at least let some sounds through and he heard a few hours later when there was snuffling outside.

The monsters were here.

.~:*:~.

As a long arm with too many finger joints reached through, trying to grab at and tear at him, he held his ground and kept the boulder from moving. The Poly’s kept shooting at it, some daring to get close enough to slide with blades at the fingers. Three fingers were cut off and the energon that plopped out was old and congealed. Whatever this was - it wasn’t natural.

Looking up as an arm reached in again he Faust sight of a brand and he reached up fast, jumping enough to put his full weight on the arm and he snapped it off at the elbow. The monster shrieked and began to ram the boulder as he scurried to hold it again. “Keep that! Wrap it up and bring it with us! I need it!” The brand on it’s wrist, he now knew why it was so familiar. He just needed to check it over later when they weren’t being brutally attacked by the monster it belonged to. 

Jazz grimaced as he grabbed the putrid limb and was about to toss it away. “ _No! Mine!_ ” Two of the few words he know with familiarity. He was sure mine was used in the wrong context but Jazz understood and wrapped it and hid it.

As the sun rose he prepared. “Come, grab on!” He patted at his frame and no one understood until he grabbed one and made them hold even as he kept his weight on the boulder. “Come!” They flocked to him again, Jazz spared a glance to his friend who had offlined when the monster had managed to grab him and Sunstreaker hadn’t saved him. A failure he would not let be repeated.

Sideswipe gave him the plan, directed him to an exact spot, and then there was a countdown. He had to be there in time. Had to get the monster in the right spot, then be prepared to fight whatever was out there guiding the mindless beast. Moving fast, not even feeling the weight on him this time, the monster fell into the cavern with the boulder, rolling and flailing towards the back, and Sunstreaker bolted again.

He was running hard, fast, outpacing the monster but only barely. He began to pluck and chuck polys off him, into the surrounding forest and the rest got the idea. One at a time they individually jumped off him and hid, the monster was focused on him after all and just ignored them. Jazz was the last and he hugged the helm he sat behind before fluidly grabbing a branch over head and scaling up. 

The monster roared and Sunstreaker turned to face it. It had two arms.

Something hit him from behind and he fell only just man again to chuck it away and then the two armed monster was on him, snapping its jaws and he held its arms. Where was Sideswipe?! He was here the exact spot for the monster, and his brother wasn’t here!

Holding the monster and refusing to slide or be pushed away he looked up as he avoided the mouth. His first thought was why would that soggy filo allow Sideswipe to do -

Oh.

Oh!

That idiot!

Lifting his pede’s the monsters weight ended up pushing him down, through wide squat legs, and he watched as it’s helm was torched down, then sparks exploded. Jumping up he barely glanced at his brother who landed on his toes in a squat of his own. “Nailed it~”

“Nearly nailed me.” Sunstreaker snapped. “There’s a second monster, and _slavers_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Intermission chapter!
> 
> All Sunny or Jazz Chapters will be titled with the same title. :D
> 
> Also this is my longest chapter by far holy sh*t. It was ten pages long.


	10. Home Sweet Home

Sideswipe saw as Prowl reached forward and he shrugged it off. Sorry, Prowl, his brother was down below and needed him. Falling backwards he controlled the fall enough to turn it into more of a backward dive, over diving and ending with his fete down and thankfully not his helm. The monster was right in place, and then he saw his mud covered brother. Sunstreaker grimaced as he avoided a bite, his helm finds bright gold and the only indicator of his helm about to be crushed also.

Sunstreaker saw him obviously and glared up at him. Sides couldn’t help but grin maniacally as his brother slipped out from under the monster and through creepy legs. Before the cryptid could move to go after his brother his toe block touched the back of the helm and his grin widened. The helm was forced down and he could visibly see as the landing sent out an impact wave through the ground and created a large crater that rippled out a solid few meters. “Nailed it~” He cooed at his brother as Sunstreaker stood up and tried to wipe off dirt, not that it helped at all.

“Nearly nailed me.” Sunny harshly growled but his focus was on the battle. “There’s a second monster, and _slavers_.”

The second part of his brother’s anger caught his attention immediately. Slavers? This far out? Were- were they after the lost merchandise? Sideswipe was chilled but then his brother threw the bond wide open and battle coding kicked in. It was like a switch was flipped and he forgot everything except the need to fight and kill. The blade was pulled from his subspace and then Sunstreaker was grabbing and tugging the lead. He rolled with it easily avoiding a blaster shot.

It would later be a shocking remembrance to the twins that they weren’t in some long past reality where things were outdated. They were just out in nature, blasters, vehicles, shuttles, video’s they all existed, just not this far out. 

Sideswipe jumped and as Sunstreaker twisted hard he kicked his legs out as he was swung from the tether. His heels made contact with someone and sent them flying, a large worrisome dent in their chest and they were offlined before hitting the ground. A jerk up and Sides found himself with a perfect aerial view. His knowledge passed over in feelings and blurs. Sunstreaker kicked up a crystalline rock and with accuracy and power that would make even the superstar payer Krok envious, he roundhouse kicked it and Sides gleefully watched from his falling position as it went straight through a mech’s helm.

Then he was twisting into a trust fall and being cradled by his brother as Sunny softened his fall.Then flipping backwards, his toes nailed a mecha in the helm as he flipped away. Sunstreaker uppercut the dazed mecha and Sides heard as the jaw shattered and the helm snapped back hard enough to break the spinal strut and make contact with it’s own struts. Giddiness was sickening and there _would_ be a fall out later for them. They never liked being murderers, it was just **necessity** for them.

Dropping low and spinning with one leg out, Sideswipe knocked the legs out from under someone. Then he jumped and his heel made contact with their gut, he watched as they gaged and choked lightly on a forced purge. He kicked out with a foot, angling his heel to make contact with their jaw, crushing their mouth shut as they choked. He wasn’t _cruel_ though and stomped twice on their forhelm, crushing their processor and offlining them.

The cryptid roared and charged Sunstreaker but Sideswipe tossed the tether over and braced. Sunstreaker dodged at the last moment and pulled the lead taut. The monster with one arm fell face first and then Sideswipe tossed the blade he held to his brother. As Sunstreaker carved the beast up Sideswipe twisted and his servo’s curled together, hammer hitting the slaver that had tried to sneak up. 

Straightening up he looked around, counting bodies, five he had watched, four he had helped with. There were three others offlined, no two, one was struggling and failing to stay online. The monster he had initially crushed, and as Sunstreaker stood up, covered in the gore from the thing, he knew the battle was over. No more enemies in the immediate area. “What was that?” Sides asked softly as Sunstreaker came over. “I thought those things weren’t friendly with anything.”

“Just their master.” Sunstreaker’s grunt had Sides looking up confused. His golden twin dragged over the first monster and dropped it by Sideswipe who watched as Sunny kicked it to roll face down and he was looking at a distinct brand. One he recognized and it sent ice down his lines Sunsteraker grabbed the back of Sideswipe’s helm and forced him to look further down. His finger traced the marking there and Sideswipe followed the lines his twin marked with his optics, the same mark on the cryptid.

Before Sideswipe could reply Poly’s materialized from the shadows in the forest around then and Sideswipe remembered that _he jumped off a cliff abandoning the Praxian’s!_ Snapping his helm to look up he was gifted with the sight of the mecha climbing down then jumping. Wings flared wide but panels locked tight and they glided down the last few meters. He didn’t know they could do that and it was terrifying.

Apparently though, from as far up as they had been they hadn't seen the conflict, only heard it. The _looks_ on the faces of his group would have amused him had he not known that he’d sone something considered stupid and risky. Taking the blade from Sunstreaker he trudged over to Prowl and held it out.

The Praxian took his own poncho off and lightly wiped at Sideswipe’s face, he ignored the blade completely. He cleaned congealed energon and the energon from the slavers off of Sideswipe with a calculated touch. The gladiator shuddered at how gentle the clean up was and he found himself shaking as his helm returned to him with the fall out.

Seven slavers and two monsters. It was not their highest kill count in a single fight, but it was their first willing battle that they had sought out rather than being forced into. Sideswipe had a servo in extinguishing four sparks. He didn’t count the monster as he was sure it was dead already but it still sickened him no matter what. “P-Prowl?” He stuttered on the designation and the alarm from Sunstreaker was visible on his face and through the closing bond.

“Fallout, already?!” Sunstreaker whispered and tried to move but his flock surrounded him and he couldn’t get to his brother.

_//He’s being too gentle. I- I can’t- It’s making it set in.//_ The more gentle Prowl was, the faster reality set in. 

They were in the wild, somewhere far from what felt like reality. Sure they never really had the comforts of a free mecha and wouldn’t miss where they came from, but this was like being tossed into some story or something. Blasters still existed, slavers existed, mecha made monsters were roaming, and here he was still bound up and killing. Prowl’s thumb rubbed at his cheek and Sideswipe realized he was crying. 

_//I want to find a home. I don’t wanna kill - I want to protect.//_

Sides didn’t speak any more and Prowl stood quickly drawing him in close for a tight protective hug. Soft words were spoken and the Praxian’s began to loot the offlined, taking weapons and fuel, whatever might be useful. Then they had to move again, there was no telling if more groups of monsters and slavers were out there. Staying here where so many dead were, where such a loud commotion was - even as fast as it had been - was dangerous. 

Prowl shifted to kneel again then he removed the bindings before he tucked them away. He pushed at the blade telling Sideswipe to keep it, that he was being trusted even if a few Praxian’s around them didn’t like it. He suddenly Picked SIdes up though and held him close before barking orders and the group mingled in preparation to head out. Jazz clambered up Sunstreaker and took his new found favorite position on his shoulders to sit.

There was a grumble from Sunstreaker but he rubbed at the legs of the mech and didn’t make him get off. A bow was connected to Jazz’s wrist and the bladed staff passed to Sunstreaker. They were being accepted it seemed. This stunt, protecting and killing had settled their positions in the group. Sides was snuggled but trusted to be a defender while Sunstreaker was obviously a tanker.

The journey was calm after that. No interruptions and the further they went the ore of the caravan that showed up. There was a distinct lack of some but it was not as mucha s feared. Most that were missing were confirmed offline and a few were still missing though not many. There was hope that they would turn up before long. When they emerged from the edge of the forest Sunstreaker stalled. It was still a long way to go, but holy slag that was a lot of teeny tiny far off tents. _A lot._

Sideswipe was looking over from where he was too exhausted in Prowl’s arms and perking up. As far as his optic could see tents were spread out on the horizon. The little group of about fifty tribe members that had captured them was _nothing_ compared to the main camp. Sideswipe would guess there were thousands! Not nearly as many as the cities had but more than he had guessed. 

Honestly he had thought this group was large, that this was half of the camp itself or even a quarter! But no, far, far, off were so many tents he’d never be able to count or keep track of them. Not that he or Sun could count that well or nothing. Tent after ten, row after row, maybe this was more than usual, perhaps there were multiple tribes that met up and this was a trade fair? Yeah that had to be it. This couldn’t be a single tribe, there was never any tribes documented this large!

The largest tribe were of the sky mecha, the seekers, with their numbers in the high triple digits, but this… Sideswipe could understand why they were safe in a group, those monsters wouldn’t make it passed the first row of tents with how many people were there.

Prowl leaned down to him and purred as he nuzzled Sideswipe’s good horn as Sides looked up. He tried to find a way to ask Prowl, to clarify what he was seeing, but nothing came to mind and he just continued to gawp. Sunstreaker was just as silent and the several others that were unbound yet had stayed with the group gasped and whispered in shock and fear. No one had expected this. 

“Prowl?” He finally managed to rasp out.

“ _Home._ ” Prowl’s deep tone reverberated through him and he nearly purged as the realization set in. 

That tribe, the one that could probably take an entire small city if they all worked together, was one tribe. It was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](https://jazzyims.tumblr.com/) Reminder that i made a tumblr for this fic! You can always contact me there or send in asks!


	11. Another Word For Stalking

Prowl was _smart_ , even though they were so close to home, he kept them together on high alert. The last thing he needed was for something to happen in this last stretch of travel. They’d already lost six in the first attack, one poly with the city mech Sunstreaker, and a few stragglers throughout the other groups. Two were missing but as one was Ironhide he wasn’t nearly as worried about the losses, Ironhide could kill those monsters on his own. As long as no other mecha were around to distract him that is.

Prowl only let himself have one momentary lapse in attention, he glanced down to the exhausted city mech in his arms. Perhaps exhausted wasn’t the right word. Sideswipe seemed to have too much energy still but something was wrong, he’s begun to shake and cry before even if now he was trying to get free to walk. He babbled like usual and Prowl smiled. If there was one benefit for all of this babble it was that his translation programming was writing itself far faster than it had in the past. No one seemed to babble like this city mech.

As they got closer and Prowl saw that a scouting team was coming to meet them he let his mate down. He didn’t want Sideswipe to look weak in front of the tribe. Sideswipe was anything but and it was hard to describe really. There was something about the way the city mech moved that spoke of a prowess that few out here could strive for. Jazz might be the only mech that could match the city mech in that.

A frown crossed his lips and Prowl looked over to the giddy Poly who was slapping at the glowering city mech’s helm. “I live over there! My pack is in that direction too! I can’t wait to introduce you to all of the younglings! I’m sure you’ll love them- or maybe not. You’re not really one for muck and they love it!” Jazz was babbling about as much as Sideswipe usually did and Prowl looked away. He didn’t want to compare and contrast them anymore. He was not pleased that he even started to and he would put a stop to it, now.

Because yes, there were a lot of similarities between his ex-betrothed and his new one. Prowl pushed at Sideswipe a bit harder than he meant to when Sides paused to look around and the city mech let him know his feelings about it. He apparently had many, _many_ , loud and in depth feelings about the little shove. “Sideswipe, calm. I apologize, it was not my intention to make you stumble. You **must** keep up though. We have to meet Prime and **then** I can show you around.” Sideswipe was enthralled with him and he realized that was likely the most he’d said to the city mech at once, other than chiding him.

Looking away he found himself glancing up at a silent Jazz and he and Jazz both had slight frowns as their optics met. Hurt throbbed in both of their sparks. They would forever be good friends but… They hadn’t ended how Prowl had wanted and obviously Jazz felt the same. They needed to _talk_ and Prowl grimaced at that thought. “Jazz, once we get them settled we need to speak.”

“Yeah, Prowler, we do. Didn’t really appreciate ya formally breakin’ us up by claiming Sideswipe there.” Sides peeped and perked up as he recognized his own designation and Prowl flinched. 

“I am **sorry** Jazz. You know that is never how I intended to do… this.”

“Well ya **did** say we were gonna work through our **problems**. I gotta say, this was an excellent plan ta work on them.” Jazz was hurt badly and Prowl looked up with his own expression of pain and the poly sighed and leaned over Sunstreaker’s helm. “Nah but really, it’s … not okay. It won’t ever be okay how it ended but I get ya. I appreciate not worryin anymore. An I understand. Ya really did mean ta talk an work with me. I’m glad ya found someone that might work better. An I actually like this aft.” 

Jazz patted Sunstreaker’s helm and the mech’s optics flashed as he looked up. The golden city mech waited then peeped a confused sound before he realized, he wasn’t being talked to but rather talked about. The city mech narrowed his optics and glared at Prowl with enough venom to peel paint. How did Sideswipe stand his elder brother? How were they even really related?! 

Sideswipe was so sweet and excitable, always chattering and bouncing around. Obviously he was the younger of the duo. It was processor melting to look at them and know them. Red that was bright and bold, gold that was striking and venomous. Horns that pointed up like cute little nubs, fins that flared out obscenely. One so small and adorable as he smiled brightly, the other large and terrifying with his glower.

Prowl’s new mate was like an exclamation of his personality. The thriving mech that bounced back easily and showed amazing strength mentally and physically. He would thrive here in the tribe, making so many friends and gaining the love of them just for being himself. Everyone would adore Sideswipe’s insane babble of nothing until the translator unit was done with making the program.

Then there was Sunstreaker whose permanent expression was a glare with his lips pulled into a frown or pulled back in a threatening display of denta. He was sour, his tone berating and condescending, he never liked anything that Prowl could see. Possessive and brash, he used strength to his own benefit and didn’t help- that wasn’t true from what Prowl had heard from the kidnapped Polys. Sunstreaker had gathered about ten polyhexian’s up before the attack and collected them all and ran. He had saved nine out of ten and Prowl wasn’t sure even he could have done that well.

Glancing back at the yellow mech he dismissed his own thoughts as the glare strengthened and Sunstreaker snarled at him. He was a good for nothing mech that had probably just took to looking after Sideswipe while they were in slavery. Probably claimed the red mech not long after Sides was captured for his own mate but never bonded or wasn’t allowed to. His loss Prowl’s gain. Sideswipe was Prowl’s mate now and he’d let the two city mecha claim familial relations but never be mates. He needed to reiterate to them as soon as his program finished that their previous relationship was over as they had both accepted their new mates.

“Prowl, Jazz, as glad as I am to see you have returned, I must confess to my confusion over why you have lost many and gained others.” Optimus Prime stood before them, towering over the group and Prowl notated that every mecha - even Tonic and Coppertone who he was glad to see had found their way to the main group at some point in the escape - shifted around uneasily and refused optic contact. Except… His idiot and his idiot’s brother. But Sunstreaker was smart enough to stay silent.

Sideswipe shifted and puffed up his chest, stained poncho mostly hiding the action, and he took in a solid breath. Primus don’t let Sideswipe say anything st- “Mine. No yours. Good.” The broken, and accented language had Prowl pinching his nose and refusing himself to meet the Prime’s optics. 

“Really now?” 

“I can explain, I have apparently declared an idiot to be my mate.”

“I think I will need more of an explanation than that.” Prime urged and Prowl nodded, private would be preferred and Prime apparently knew his thoughts because he gave a small nod too. After addressing the main problems he would talk with Prowl, and apparently Jazz if the glance over to the sheepish Poly meant anything.

Slavery was going to be hard to explain to Prime as they didn’t even know the full extent. By Prowl’s calculations and his observations Sideswipe was likely right around Copper’s age while Sunstreaker was older than Tonic. They were obviously there before the Poly’s capture, maybe a few vorns as they seemed fairly conditioned to that lifestyle. Thinking, calculating, Prime let him have a bit of time to figure out how to explain to the best of everyone’s understanding. “Those that were lost were lost as the Cryptid’s attacked. In the first attack we lost six then after that a few more as we separated into smaller groups. All of the missing have been confirmed offline except for Ironhide and one other.”

Prime pondered a few moments as Prowl finally put servo’s on Sideswipe’s shoulders and pushed him down to stand flat footed. Sides began to peep and chitter at him but Prowl just leaned down and helm bumped him lightly and SIdeswipe quieted. It seems that Sideswipe understood earlier about how this to his frame type was a very intimate gesture. All helm touches have different meanings but they are all only to be done with family and mates. Mostly mates or very close siblings.

“And who is this?” Prime broke the small nuzzling moment between Prowl and Sideswipe - who had thankfully shut up for a bit - to gesture at said small city mech and his golden brother who was puffed up and ready to throttle Prowl. There was a distinct smugness Prowl felt as he saw Sunstreaker.

“Before me is Sideswipe,” That got the city mech buzzing again with peeps and chirps, “and his brother Sunstreaker. There are others as you have noticed, every single one of them were in chains and collars much like Coppertone and Tonic had been forced to wear. It would be a safe assumption that they were all enslaved too. They have lost far more in the rescue and following cryptid attack than we have. There were twenty of them to start and now maybe nine survived.”

Shifting aside Prowl motioned for Tonic to come forward and she moved with a limp that Ratchet would like to take a look at if he saw it. “I- uh- Hi?” SHe glanced over to Jazz who balled his fist and lifted a thumb. That was a city mech gesture that sent Sideswipe into a peeping chirping frenzy. Obviously he had taught that to the siblings. Prowl just put a servo over Sideswipe’s mouth and he got licked but he didn’t remove his servo. Hush.

Prime asked her about what she knew, what had happened to her the vorn she’d been held with her brother, and how she was feeling. Prowl was astounded by what he heard. Sideswipe was a warrior, a good one. She said he was one of the best only ever having been bested by his own brother. They were often put into a pit together and then others were put in too. City mecha would observe the fight, but unlike the usual friendly tribal combat fights, this was far more brutal. Energon was lusted for, it was bathed in. 

The gladiators were _murderers_. As they were not up to par with the long training gladiators the poly’s were never in offline matchest but the brothers were often at the forefront of those. Prowl couldn’t hide his shock as he looked down at sweet little peeping Sideswipe. How - he was too innocent to -

**Panic struck him as he watched the small frame fall backwards then nose dive through the canopy below. Sideswipe had been shifting futher and his legs wound be crushed from the impact. “You can’t Prowl! We are too high! Your wings cant take it, we have to climb down!” But by the time they got low enough to all glide, weapons at the ready, it was chaos all around. Frames were offlined everywhere and Prowla t first feared that Sideswipe’s was among them.**

**Then he realized, none of them were _theirs_. Every frame was of some city mech and two cryptids. Sideswipe was there looking up at him peeping his designation as he cleaned him. The poor mech had fought still bound. It had probably been terrifying, he might have proved to be enough of a distraction that the Poly’s had offlined the rest.**

“The brother’s offlined them all, didn’t they?” Prowl looked at Jazz who blinked then nodded. Yeah the brothers had easily killed two cryptids, and seven mecha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any Prowl chapters like this will be titled the same.


	12. Charades

Sideswipe was worried when Prowl looked at him like he did. There was something in his optics that sent a chill down Sideswipes spinal struts. He’s seen that look before often enough to let out a small worried sound. It was a calculated move on his own part, Prowl had always been so quick to try and comfort him in the past but now - now the mech hesitated to reach up and touch even his shoulder in a comforting gesture.

As Sunstreaker watched, a growl forming, Sides urged his brother to hold off. It might be something Tonic or the giant mech was saying. SIdeswipe let out a few more upset sounds and then found himself engulfed in Prowl’s arms and hugged close,little movements of a servo on his back worked to smooth him and he relaxed. Yes the look had been one that he knew, one that was filled with disgust as they realized he was a death match gladiator, but Prowl was now embracing him and whispering to him, lightly bumping helms and Sideswipe accepted it. 

He yearned to be wanted as a mech, as a being, and not just a weapon for profit. Prowl did that for him, made him feel just how he wanted. Looking up he spoke softly to Prowl, trying to ask him what was happening but Prowl didn’t understand and couldn’t respond. But that was _okay_ because the barbarian cooed and held him tighter. The bond throbbed with Sunstreaker’s dissatisfaction but his brother was smart enough not to say anything aloud. The Large mech put a servo on Prowl’s shoulder and then Prowl was urging him away with Jazz following by nudging Sunstreaker. “Not a fragging steed.” Yet still his brother moved and followed anyway.

Prowl nudged Sideswipe into an odd structure, the same kind of structure that the entire encampment was made of. Huts or something he thought they were called. It was conical and wide, large enough that the panels on Prowl’s back had enough room to stretch, separate, and flap before returning to a resting state. Jazz removed himself from Sunstreaker to stand before Prowl, The Poly’s helmet having been removed earlier - it was at the point after entering the encampment and having been handed off along with the majority of weapons - so his taylu were left free to swing and Sideswipe had a sense of impatience. Like the little Poly was waiting for some explanation from Prowl.

Apparently Sunstreaker had that thought too so now Prowl had three mecha in this tent looking at him waiting. The Praxian groaned and wiped at his face before beginning to speak. To the twins it was all nonsense but Jazz was getting more and more… distraught? Sideswipe thinks that’s distress on the Poly’s face. They spoke back and forth, getting heated, but the twins stayed out of it. They didn’t know what was being talked about, anything about what was happening other than tempers were rising along with hurt or emotional upset. 

Sideswipe was just about to begin poking around the hut when Jazz slapped Prowl. It was a fairly hard hit that made the Praxian reel back and his wings flared in alarm. Sideswipe was immediately in front of him pushing Jazz back. He wouldn’t hit, he knew he could crush face plates if he did. Sunstreaker reached out pulling at Jazz and then stepping in front. He and SIdeswipe locked optics and huffed at each other, growling and arguing through their bond. 

Jazz reached to try and push Sunstreaker off to the side, probably grumbling for him to stay out of this, and that set Sunstreaker off. Sideswipe took the punch because if he dodged, Prowl would be hit instead. Not okay! Reaching forward Sideswipe grabbed his brother and shifted fast, he moved Sunny’s back towards the entrance then kicked hard. Sunstreaker stumbled back and fell out of the front and his optics blazed. “No! You do not hit!” Sideswipe growled at him. “I lightly pushed Jazz away and you aimed to **hit** Prowl! I know you thought I’d dodge.” 

Moving out of the hut he shook off Prowl’s hold on his shoulder. Standing up Sunstreaker went to dust himself off and realized he was still caked in dried flakey mud. That too was affecting his temperment Sides knew, but it still did not make any of this okay. “You’re glitch made Jazz upset.” Jazz and Prowl finally had the opportunity to get between the brother’s and they shared a glance, realizing this was because of their own tension.

“And he hit Prowl! That was the end of that, I moved him away so that it wouldn’t happen again. As much a s it’s between **them** I won't let him hit Prowl again.” Sunstreaker’s growl had the spectators shifting back nervously.

“Then we end it. Winner is right.” Sunstreaker picked Jazz up carefully and set him to the side and he took a fighting stance even as Prowl began to chitter at them, probably demanding they stop this. 

“Outside! We go outside the camp. I’ll beat your aft so bad you’ll wish we were still in the pits!” Sideswipe howled at him and pointed angrily as he did so, first at his twin then out to the edge of the camp. Both of them began to mash their denta together and contemplated just what they were doing. Emotions were high and they were fed up with having been so immobile for so long. Their battle earlier had delayed the inevitable and now it was hitting.

“Winner is in the right and then we wash together.”

“Deal.”

.~:*:~.

Both stood down suddenly and Prowl and Jazz kept up their worried sounds and looked at them. It was the moment the two barbarian’s looked to each other rather than them that the twins made their move. They bolted faster than petro rabbits and wove through the crowd without looking. They only saw the optics of each other and then they passed all of the huts and tents. With a loud clatter they grappled. Servo’s grasped each other’s and their fingers interlocked.Legs spread and propped for leverage Sideswipe felt the metal under his toe block starting to give away and he lightly slid back. 

“I’ll beat you naked as the orn we were tossed into the pits.” He snarled reminding his brother of the handicap he had in the loss of his armor. Sunstreaker pushed hard and the two separated. As they walked, circling each other Sunstreaker removed each and every piece of armor until he was as naked as his twin.

“Now you can’t glitch later about being handicapped.” They met again in a grapple just as Prowl and Jazz arrived along with most of their caravan team. The twins got face to face snarling and when Prowl was about to move forward in an attempt to get between them Tonic grabbed him, her helm shook and she spoke. Most likely warning the worried Praxian about the danger that would put him in.

The twins were equals for the most part. They were trained to be identical in every movement and every thought when fighting even if some of their preferred methods differed such as Sunstreaker’s preference for using his fists and Sideswipes better kicks. Then their bond pulsed open and they were more than equals, they were a single unit. They weren’t going to really fight anymore, just work off their frustrations and they pushed away, Sunstreaker threw a punch and Sideswipe ducked to kick him again. 

Every attack was met with a defensive maneuver and counter. Some counters made it through, a kick here, a punch there, and then they would repeat. Each strike clanged loudly and reverberated through their frames. They moved fast, hit hard, and aimed to kill. They knew each other could take it and with their bond so open no real attacks would make it through. Their fight had gathered quite the crowd with Prowl and Jazz standing at the front, both moving and pacing, waiting to find a way to end this before someone ended up offlined or damaged.

Finally the fight ended with Sideswipe pinned to the ground and Sunstreaker using his weighted advantage to keep him there. There were a few futile attempts from Sideswipe to get free but nothing came of them. Just more dust kicked up and settled onto their grimey frames. “I concede.” Sideswipe grumbled and Sunstreaker pulled him up and hugged him close. The yellow twin didn’t need to say anything especially with their bond so open. Sideswipe knew Sunstreaker was pleased and in a good place mentally, even with the gunk on his frame and the few shallow cuts he received.

“Sideswipe?” Prowl hedged forward and Sideswipe smiled at him before snuggling further into his brother. “ _No, Sideswipe, Mine. No Sunstreaker._ ” He tried to push the notion and Sideswipe tilted his helm. 

“ _Yes? Sideswipe Prowl’s._ ” Looking up confused at Sunstreaker and getting the same look back, neither understood the possessiveness Prowl was showing by the claim while acting very submissive like. 

Prowl and Jazz began to usher the twins away from the crowd and towards somewhere else. As they walked Prowl tried to explain in the broken language the twins understood. “ _Sideswipe Prowl’s. Sunstreaker Jazz’s. Jazz no Prowl’s, Sideswipe no Sunstreaker’s._ ” Immediately Sideswipe dug his heels into the ground and they were going no further until he could figure out how to explain.

“Do they not understand we are twins? That we are each other’s first and foremost?” Sunstreaker grumbled and that gave Sideswipe an idea.

“Spark,” Sideswipe tapped his little cover that protected his spark. Reaching over he grabbed Prowl’s servo’s and held them up. Then he made a circle with his own servo’s each finger tip touching. “Prowl’s spark.” He indicated Prowl should make the symbol and then for Jazz to do the same. Sides tapped at Prowl’s chest and got a curt nod, he understood that this symbolized a spark. Jazz spoke softly, offering up their term for a spark.

Sideswipe reached out with his servo and put only one onto Prowl’s ‘spark’. Sunstreaker understanding what SIdeswipe was intending to do did the same. “ _Sideswipe, Prowl’s. Sunstreaker, Jazz’s._ ” He made sure to stress that as he nodded at the servo’s then he held up his right servo and curved his finger’s as if he was going to make a spark but didn’t have enough servo’s. Then Sunstreaker slowly lifted his free left servo and then their colored fingertips met. Together they made a single ‘spark’ with their free servo’s.

Prowl only blinked but Jazz took his servo’s away from under Sunstreaker’s. “Jazz.” He held up the spark symbol with his Servo’s and Sideswipe nodded. Then he pulled his servo’s appart and held one out towards each twin, “Sunstreaker, Sideswipe.” Hesitantly the twins nodded and Jazz’s jaw dropped before he began spouting fast in his language at Prowl. 

Prowl jerked and looked nearly spooked before he tried to do half a spark symbol with Sides who shook his helm. Prowl was making sure they didn’t misunderstand or miscommunicate.

“ _Half-spark?!_ ” Looking around Prowl scooped up a crystal and held out. “ _Spark._ ” He tapped his chassis and Sides nodded eagerly. Yes, they might understand! Prowl gripped each end then tensed and the crystal cracked appart showing it was a geode and it’s inside was sparkly and pretty. Why was-?

Prowl gave each twin a half and then handed Jazz a new crystal while taking one for himself. Seeing that the broken crystal still fit together perfectly Sideswipe needed up at Prowl and nodded. “ _Yes!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been super distracted by a lot of things including a lot of art. Oops lol. Here's another [Art](https://jazzyims.tumblr.com/post/190797095803/helliontwins-the-hand-practice-is-expanding)art (by me) for this fic!


	13. Not A Chapter; TBD Please Read!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asking for help

Hey all, hope you are doing good. Unfortunately there are a lot of us that with this virus aren't doing good. I'm just gonna keep this part short about that because its a hard time and people don't want to read about it. If you are affected I'm so sorry. I hope your schooling is still going well, that you've got unemployment, and that you all are staying healthy and safe. For anyone that's sick or lost any one I hope you get better and my condolences. I hope we all make it through this.

That is where I will end with that. 

Now for the main reason of this chapter. I have very little idea/muse for what to do next. I would like to ask y'all for some help. I have this uploaded in a google doc and would love to chat with one or two of y'all about what to do next or how to go about the next section. I've been stuck for a month or so now and can't get anything out. I've even tried writting a spinoff of this and it helped some to get my writing going but not really helping with this story. So if you all have managed to read this far and want to help, it would be greatly appreciated and i look forward to chatting with y'all and continuing on with the next chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TL:DR I'm stuck and would like to chat about plots with people to try and get more ideas flowing.

**Author's Note:**

> If you have anything you ever want to see in the fic, comment and if it fits I might add it! Also I'm posting this as I write it. I already know that when I finish it I want to go back and add more to it and rewrite it. So please do comment with your thoughts and what you want to be added cus I can and will do it if I like and agree with it!


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